Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this thriller. Firstly, I much preferred the first book title- The Clearing, as it felt much more connected to the plot line than “Blood Traces”.
I really enjoyed the slightly supernatural mythology of the story and the forest setting, which disguised the horrors where this story takes you. The characters are good and well structured and the plot is nicely paced. Easy to read and can see it making a really gripping tv thriller.

A brilliantly creepy and haunting thriller. A girl has disappeared during the Midsummer night's celebrations in a Gloucestershire forest. But forensic specialist Laughton Rees notes women have been vanishing for some time. Is this the work of local legend 'The Cinderman'? Laughton makes it her mission to find the missing girl who may not even be alive.

Book 2 of the Rees and Tannahill series is almost exclusively set around criminologist Dr Laughton Rees. Noticing a large cluster of missing young women in a rural setting, she investigates. Rees teams up with the sister of the latest missing person, whom the police seem uninterested in tracing. The case develops into one involving ancient woodland legends and more modern criminal activities.

After a slow start, this develops into a compelling mystery with an unusual cast of characters. The ending is dramatic and the final reveal brings the case to a close in style.

I love books with hints of superstition and myth running through them and this is one such book.
The Clearing is part horror part investigation told through the points of view of one of various characters.
The investigator is a criminologist which gives the investigation a slightly different angle.
Playing with twists, timelines, lies, history and unreliable narrators the author skillfully leads us through a dark tale of historic crimes very much grounded in 21st century evils.
The writing, especially the forest scenes, was tense and claustrophobic which added to the chill factor!