Water Grave by Mitchell S. Karnes is a twisting mystery with some very dark elements. I liked the first person POV that helped reveal the truth about main character Det. Abbey Rhodes. Find out more below.
Publisher: Wordcrafts Press (January 29, 2025)
Paperback: 280 pages
Six years ago, Hannah Leah Abelard needed a fresh start. She changed her name to Abbey Rhodes and enlisted in the United States Army as a part of the “Ever Vigilant,” 18th Military Police Brigade. They taught her how to be a great cop. Abbey moved to Tennessee three years later and joined Metro Nashville’s Police Department.
Now, in her third month with Homicide, Abbey is thrust into a case that may bring the walls she built crashing down around her, exposing a dark past she thought she’d left behind. A young pastor is found dead in the bottom of his baptistery and Abbey is forced to investigate the one place she swore never to return-the church. The case takes Abbey deeper into a tangled web of lies and secrets where the most dangerous ones may be her own.
About Mitchell S. Karnes
Mitchell S. Karnes is a Christian husband, father, and grandfather. He served in the church in multiple capacities, including pastor, youth minister, and education minister. Mitchell also taught English in middle and high school, also serving as a coach in wrestling and softball. He spends his time writing fiction in Middle Tennessee.
My Impressions:
Dark and twisting is the best way for me to describe Mitchell S. Karnes mystery Water Grave. To be up front, if you are triggered by books featuring abuse and/or seriously creepy characters, I would skip this book. But if you are intrigued by the dark side of the human mind, then this book is for you. Newly minted homocide detective Abbey Rhodes is called to the scene of a murder that dredges up all the secrets and hurts of her past. Wounded in significant ways by her family and church leaders, Abbey has attempted to put all the trauma behind her. But the puzzling case of the murder of a seemingly really great pastor, causes Abbey to face her demons head on. The case itself is very intriguing — lots of suspects with motives. As Abbey and her partner dig deeper they expose some very heinous things. The continuous slide into the depraved minds of some of the characters became a bit uncomfortable for me. But the spiritual journey that Abbey embarks on kept me going to the end. The depiction is raw and true-to-life. And not really tied up in a neat bow at the end — I am looking forward to walking with Abbey again!
While not for every reader, Water Grave is a good choice for those who don’t mind some darkness with a good bit of hope and redemption in their fiction.
Recommended.
Audience: Adults.
(I purchased the Kindle ebook from Amazon and a complimentary paperback from the publisher. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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Tags: Mitchell S. Karnes, mystery fiction
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