There's nothing worse than being able to figure out the ending of a thriller, and this one kept me guessing. A wonderful and incredibly rich novel . . . Powerful writing and a wonderful premise make this a novel you’ll simultaneously want to savour and race through.

I haven’t read a decent crime story for a while so I was excited as the description sounded interesting. I haven’t read the previous books in the series, however I understood everything that was going on.

The opening chapter was a whopper. A great start that yanked me into the story, so I had to keep turning the pages to find out what happened next. This book was eerie and chilling, taking on a mind of its own and leaving me in a state of uncomfortable silence.

Despite the gruesome and chilling crime, the author handled it well, giving us ample amount of information without going overboard on the details. It was the emotion underlying the crime that got to me — the two little children left behind, the missing girl who just lost her two closest friends. It was a fantastic balance and added so much depth to the story.

There was a lot of telling (rather than showing) at the beginning. However, I enjoyed reading Alyssa’s in-depth thoughts and reflections on her process of trying to solve the crime. Allowing her emotions and ideas to shine, helping us figure out what angle she worked the crime from.

Although extremely dark and disturbing, it was interesting to go inside the killer’s mind. Read about their thoughts and feelings about what they’d done and why. It added to overall mystery and anticipation to see if they caught them.

Overall, this was a pretty good crime story. It was gripping. I got bored in the middle and flipped to get back into the action, but it held my attention enough to continue on until the end. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher, for a chance to read and review this book.

If you like strong characters crafted into believable characters, then get a copy of The Devil's Playground by Charly Cox.

Alyssa and Cord have a great partner relationship, and their banter cuts through the tension of the scenes so that you can take a breath between the action-packed plot. The action started from page one and didn't let go until the exciting end.

This is a book involving the occult and ritual sacrifices—scary stuff. My heart was pounding, and I had tears when they encountered and then interviewed the two children. The author wrote such gut-wrenching and vivid scenes that made me feel right there with the characters. I did not see some of the action coming, and the story was exciting. There were raw emotions, and the action leaped from the page.

Will check out more books by this author.

#TheDevilsPlayground #NetGalley @HeraBooks

Skye, Elena and London are best friends. They work together and each Thursday have movie night at Skye's house, with wine, snacks and films as well as story time for her two children with their aunties. This time however someone plans to gatecrash the party determined their visit will be unforgettable.

Experienced detective, Alyssa Wyatt and her partner of seven years, Cord Roberts are called to the scene of a home invasion in a quiet residential area which shakes even their hardened resolve. As they try to set a time line and work out what happened inside the small family home their discoveries make everything suddenly and unbelievably worse than they could have imagined. Alyssa and Cord know time has already begun slipping away from them with nothing they uncover giving any clue to who committed the heinous crimes or why. Their team is determined however and gradually get nearer to a truth which none of them could have come close to envisaging.

In this fourth Detective Alyssa Wyatt book the action starts at full speed on page one and never lets up. The six members of Alyssa's team are all present but Cord takes centre stage a little more than usual which I really enjoyed as he is definitely one of the good guys. This book isn't for the squeamish and not being good with snakes in any way, shape, or form, including the written word meant I skated over one part of this very quickly! The final few chapters were a shocking surprise for the most part which is always a good thing!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This is an excellent, fast moving, addition to a very good series which I have thoroughly enjoyed from the start and happily recommend.

A fast paced tnriller I encourage everyone to read ASAP. I couldnt put this down and read every chance I got.

4+ stars

I enjoyed an earlier book by Charly Cox so was thrilled to receive this one and it did not disappoint. In fact it kept me glued to my seat, unable to stop reading as it was a very suspenseful story.

Three friends - Skye Fleming, Elena Garcia and London Brecken gather for their regular Thursday girly movie night. Skye’s young children, Carter aged 6 and Abigail aged 3, have been put to bed but they beg London to read them a story, something she is happy to do. During this interlude there is a knock on the door and then the sounds of a violent struggle and terrified screaming coming from Skye’s room. The children are petrified but London gently urges them into the wardrobe where they huddle together trying not to hear the awful sounds.

When it is finally quiet, London ventures out of the room to find her phone to call for help but the killers are back! She is stabbed and abducted. A neighbour has has called the police and the traumatised children are finally discovered still hiding in the wardrobe.

London however is not yet dead. The killers have terrible plans for her. She is tied up and left in the dank basement of a crumbling old church which has recently been given over to satanic rituals. Eeeeek! These killers are stone cold, ruthless and relentless. I had a guess for one of them but I am pleased to say I was wrong.

This book is book 4 in the Detective Alyssa Watts series. I haven’t read books 1 and 2 but I am seriously considering doing that as the stories are so good. The star of this story was young Carter. At 6 years old he was so brave and protective of his little sister he stole my heart. Alyssa’s partner, Detective Cord Roberts gains the little boy’s trust which helps them progress the case. The police are desperately hoping to find London alive but it is looking less and less likely.

The cracking pace never let up until the end which was kind of sad. If you’re looking for suspense (without the romance) this is a great series to read. The police team are professional and relatable with no gimmicks. I will eagerly await the next book in the series. Many thanks to Netgalley and Hera Books for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

Damn this book is dark and disturbing. It is definitely not for the faint hearted. I love this series and the other books are pretty gruesome but this one is extra creepy. The main reason I adore this series so much is Alyssa and her family. They’re just so adorable and it makes a change to have the main character cop not be a grouchy loner. I also love Cord and Hal. We love to see a disabled character whose disability isn’t the plot point (although not using the term wheelchair bound would be nice). I hope we get a new addition to this series and get to see more of certain adorable characters.

Now onto the crime part of this thriller. As I mentioned it’s dark, creepy, and full of suspense, it had me hooked. We get to see the story unfold from the POV of Alyssa, London, the kidnapper, and Carter. The chapters from London’s POV were absolutely terrifying and it really felt like we were there with her. Carter's POV shattered my heart and I may have shed a tear or two. I had no idea who the kidnapper was and every time I thought I’d figured it out I was proved wrong. The twists and turns kept me sucked in until the shocking reveal.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I would like to thank Netgalley and Hera Books for an advance copy of The Devil’s Playground, the fourth novel to feature Detective Alyssa Wyatt of the Albuquerque PD.

A home invasion leaves best friends Elena and Skye tortured and murdered and a third friend, London, no where to be found. Fortunately Skye’s two children, six year old Carter and three year old Abigail were hidden in a cupboard by London before she disappeared. Alyssa and her partner, Detective Cord Roberts realise that time is of the essence to find London and the murderers, especially when they suspect the involvement of a satanic cult.

I enjoyed The Devil’s Playground, which is a fast moving detective story with extras, as it is told from not just Alyssa’s point of view, but also London’s and her kidnapper’s. Even young Carter gets a turn. It works well as it gives the reader a rounded view of events and ramps up the tension, but it should be noted that there is a level of violence often absent from this type of fiction and a light exploration of satanic beliefs, so it might not be for every reader.

The plot is fairly straightforward in its premise, find London and her kidnapper. The twists come in the details of the hunt. I was surprised by some of them, others I guessed immediately, although there were more surprises than accurate guesses. I think the author does the tension well, with the urgency of the search for London coming over well. There is a certain amount of serendipity in the plot with certain events leading to lucky discoveries. I don’t think it actually matters as they maintain the forward momentum and keep the reader entertained.

The undoubted star of the novel is six year old Carter. He is wise beyond his years and extremely resourceful when it counts. It’s highly improbable but he gets a pass because he’s so cute.

The Devil’s Playground is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Complex thriller with many strands to be untangled. Good characters amongst the detective team and a fast paced storyline.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Hera Books and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I enjoy a thriller that keeps me on the edge of my seal. The series is fantastic, the characters are wonderful, this story as an addition is tops.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It kept me guessing to the end. It was the type of book where you say 'just let me finish this first' before doing anything else. I have read others in this series and eagerly await the next one.

Evil most human - tense page-turner, this one will keep you up late until you finish! Truly bad, and believable, very bad guys keep the good guys on their toes to hunt them down - suspense to the max!

Detective Alyssa Wyatt is back with another adventure!!!

Skye, Elena and London are having their girls night out on Thursdays. But their usual girls night out is interrupted when two intruders enter and brutally kills Skye and Elena and kidnaps London. The only survivors of the torment were Skye's children, Carter and Abigail who witnessed the entire scene. Detective Alyssa Wyatt and her partner Detective Cord were set to investigate the case and they find more disturbing things about the murder cases, including a Satanic cult involved in the case.

From start to finish, I was literally hooked into the story. The story was fast paced filled with twists and turns that you wouldn't expect. I was on the edge of the seat as I was reading this book and the author has done a good job of drawing the reader into the story. The torture scene the ordeal London the third victim was going through was actually disturbing to read but nonetheless and in a disturbing sense, that's what made the story more interesting!!! I was anyway glad that London got saved in the end and that the perpetrators were caught, although I didn't expect those particular characters were the perpetrators.

In all, if you love an unputdownable, twisty thriller that will keep you on the edge, then this book is one for you. Do you have to read from the first? Suggestable but you can choose not to. Worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hera Books for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Yay! A fourth entry in the Detective Alyssa Watt series. Although it can be read as a stand-alone, it’s great to read them in order and see the character development. That’s what I love about this series. Each one involves a gripping investigation/mystery, but the characters are fully fleshed-out, not caricatures. In "The Devil's Playground", Detective Alyssa Watt investigates the disappearance of a woman from the scene of a grisly homicide. This one is just as engrossing as prior novels.

This is the fourth book in the Alyssa Wyatt series. There are references to the previous books, so it's best to read them first, but not necessary.
Wyatt and her partner Cord are investigating the double murder of Skye and Elena, plus the kidnapping of their friend London. We get come pretty horrific details, but they don't take away from the plot.
I really like Alyssa, Cord, and the supporting characters.
An excellent series!

Thanks publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
This is book #4 in the Detective Alyssa Wyatt series and it’s another wild ride. This was a keep reading till I was finished, can’t wait for the next one read.
Alyssa and Cord are called to the scene of a double murder, where 2 small children are found hiding in a closet, having witnessed the murder of their mom and her friend. All is not as it seems though and a 3rd woman has been kidnapped by the killers. Can they find her and keep the children safe before anyone else is killed.
Nothing but good things to say about Alyssa and her team and oh my heart, the relationship between Cord and little Carter.
Can be read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend reading all of these because you are missing out on some great reads if you skip the first three in this series.
Hopefully book 5 won’t be too long of a wait!

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me access to this before publication. While The Devil's Playground takes on an unpleasant subject, we are spared the worst of the details and this makes it slightly easier to read.
Our story begins with London reading a story to her friend's two young children when she hears noises she wasn't expecting to. Concerned by this unexpected occurrence, she hides with the children in the closet and we are in for a tense wait as we try to work out what this might mean.
The evening results in the ritual killing of two young women, the abduction of London and the children safe but traumatised by their experience. Detective Alyssa Wyatt is called in and, as with the previous books in the series, she approaches her task with grim determination to ensure she gets the result she wants.
The remainder of the book then splits our focus. We are given details from the perspective of Detective Wyatt as she investigates. We see the torment London is subjected to as she is tortured. We also see inside the minds of the two responsible for these brutal killings. What we don't see until late on is how the little details combine, and exactly how the various details piece together.
Without giving too much away, this is a solid instalment in the series. We continue to see the main characters develop, and we also get an insight into their work.

I would not normally read a book that contains such horrific moments however it was written in such a way that didn't overshadow the plot, and meant I kept reading in order to find out what happened. Different points in this book made me feel many different emotions including shock, upset, anger and even a bit scared at times. I think this was due to how invested in the characters I was. Time was taken to really allow me to understand them and that meant my emotions were heightened in my desire for them to get the endings I felt were appropriate for them. I would read another book by this author after reading this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

Wow, this was one brilliant read. I loved, loved, loved it and didn’t want it to end. This is the fourth book in the author’s Detective Alyssa Wyatt series and I think this is the best one so far. Detective Wyatt is back investigating a double murder and a missing person with her partner Detective Roberts. I’ve always liked her as the lead character from the first book All his Pretty Girls and in the subsequent books the side characters, the team Alyssa works with, have grown on me to the point I feel I know them all really well now. I think this is a very well written book that grabbed my attention with the opening chapter and held it right to the end. I love the separate story threads, the twists that kept me guessing and I’d say expect the unexpected with this read. One of the best things for me was that Detective Roberts (Cord) really came into his own as a character and it was great seeing a very different side to him. I think Charly Cox connects so well with her readers through her characters and writing and has excelled here. Overall, a great read with characters you just root for throughout and I eagerly look forward to the next one in the series. If you like police procedurals I’d recommend this although I would say start from the first book and read the series in order.

When I saw that another book was coming out in this series I literally squealed with happiness. Alyssa and Cord are back! This is one of my favorite series and this book was SO good! What happened the night Skye and Elena were murdered and London kidnapped? and why? I found this book so captivating and the storyline was different then anything I have read in awhile. Not your typical murder mystery. This book has so many layers of suspense. I think what makes this book and this series so good is not just the different storylines it's definitely the characters. Following the stories of Alyssa, Cord, Hal and really all the main characters you can't help but not want to keep following their lives in every book. This book will keep you reading into the night so plan on not sleeping or doing anything! Perfect thriller! I will again be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. Keep on writing Charly Cox your such a good author. This series just keeps getting better!