The Black Candle Killings


Fiction - Thriller - General
390 Pages
Reviewed on 11/30/2022
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Cecelia Hopkins for Readers' Favorite

The Black Candle Killings by Andrew Segal launches straight into a terrifying murder. Tammy Pierre, a retired police officer, is contacted by her former supervisor, Bob Walker, and asked to consult on a case. It is clear the police response is inadequate and the body count is rising. The ritualized killings all involve women who have had illegitimate children. As Tammy investigates, she discovers a connection with a convent orphanage in Trinidad where young girls had been abused. Tammy helps separate the copycat killings from the original to uncover a horrifying secret. But will she survive the investigation or become the killer’s next victim?

The Black Candle Killings by Andrew Segal was a murder mystery with a genuine creep factor integrated. I admired the heroine who was a strong black woman and even survived a mission to the Middle East that would have killed most men. Shivers ran down my spine throughout the whole reading process. I liked the way the narrative exposed institutionalized bigotry and misogyny. The plot was intricate and centered on fanaticism and blame. I was amazed by several characters that were not the main villains but were complicit in their attitudes and actions. I had some suspicions but enjoyed the way the author played a literary game of cat-and-mouse with my perceptions, refusing to reveal the primary culprit until the end. The story had action and suspense as well as oodles of ominous religious undertones that bordered on horror. The book will enthrall and frighten the reader.