Synopses & Reviews
Perry Hollow, Pennsylvania, has never had a murder. At least not as long as Kat Campbell has been police chief. And the first is brutal. George Winnick, a farmer in his sixties, is found in a homemade coffin on the side of the highway with his lips sewn shut and his veins and arteries drained of blood and filled with embalming fluid. Chilling as that is, it becomes even more so when Kat finds that the Perry Hollow Gazette obituary writer, Henry Goll, received a death notice for Winnick before he was killed.
Soon after, the task force from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Investigation shows up and everything takes an irreversible turn for the worse. Nick Donnelly, head of the task force, has been chasing the “Betsy Ross Killer,” so named because hes handy with a needle and thread, for more than a year. Winnick seems to be his fourth victim. Or is he?
Kat has never handled a murder case before, but shes not about to sit by while someone terrorizes her sleepy little town or her own son. But will her efforts be enough to stop a killer and bring calm to Perry Hollow?
A portrait of a small town in turmoil, where residents fear for their lives, Todd Ritters Death Notice is a gripping debut from a terrific new talent in crime fiction.
Review
Advance Praise for Death Notice
“With Death Notice, talented newcomer Todd Ritter takes readers on a roller-coaster ride of thrills and chills. Set in the small Pennsylvania town of Perry Hollow, the book captures the essence of small-town life. The characters, particularly Chief of Police Kat Campbell, are memorable and shine in their roles. The crimes are brutal with vivid details readers of crime fiction will happily devour—and beg for more. Ritter has conceived a mystery that will remain in your memory long after you finish the book. Just dont read it when youre alone.”
--Linda Castillo, New York Times bestselling author of Pray for Silence.
“Death Notice is a tense and twisty whodunit from a fresh new voice in fiction. With well-drawn characters and spare, unflinching prose, Todd Ritter offers an atmospheric and emotionally rich debut. Mystery fans will love their visit to Ritters Perry Hollow.”
—Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Fragile
Synopsis
From an exciting new voice in mystery fiction comes the story of an obituary writer who begins receiving advance notice before the victims die. Now it's up to Sheriff Kat Campbell to track down the killer.
About the Author
Todd Ritter has been a journalist for fifteen years and is currently at the New Jersey Star-Ledger. He has interviewed celebrities, covered police standoffs, and even written obituaries. He lives in suburban New Jersey. This is his debut novel.
Visit his Web site at www.toddritteronline.com.