The Darkest Night
By Jodie Larsen

     Evan Newsome has been missing for days. His abandoned car was found near Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Max, Cal and the rest of the Search and Rescue team are determined to find him before it's too late. Max Masterson and his SAR dog, Stagga, are especially relentless.

      Evan is not the only person to have disappeared recently in a national park. The others have all turned up dead from exposure. There's one odd commonality among the national park deaths: in the cars of each victim is found a copy of a particular best-selling book. This book discusses the role nature can play in suicide. There are no fingerprints on the books except for those of the missing people. The FBI concludes that the people have killed themselves.

Their families disagree. They think that their loved ones were kidnapped, taken into the woods and left for dead.

     Kaycee Miller is Max's girlfriend. She's a psychologist who specializes in handwriting analysis. The FBI gives Kaycee handwriting samples of the missing people to check for suicidal tendencies. She's convinced that these people were not suicidal. She doesn't know what did happen, but she is certain that they have not killed themselves. The FBI profilers agree, and the focus of the investigation changes.

     The kidnappers are dubbed "The Natural Killers."

     Evan is finally located. The rescue team is immediately called on another search. Cal's sister Aubrey lives just outside the Rocky Mountain National Park. She's missing. Her husband found a copy of the book under her bed. Everyone fears the worst.

      A few days later, Max calls Kaycee. She answers in a whisper, "I need help. Call the police. I have to be quiet or they'll find me." Her phone abruptly goes silent. When he arrives at Kaycee's home, Max finds the dreaded book lying on the stairs. The Natural Killers have struck again.

     This is one of the best books I have read in a very long time. The action is nonstop. This is a page-turner of the first degree. I look forward to reading more of this talented author's work. This is a great book!