Touch of Evil

A new sin awakens in the next gripping psychological suspense novel by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne…When a body is found, displayed crudely in the middle of a deserted rural road, the world is captivated by the gruesome murder. Media descends on a small town in the middle of West Virginia, desperate to uncover the one question everyone wants to know: Who killed a mother of two, beloved wife and friend, and pillar of her community?Former FBI consultant Brooklyn Sloane and her team have spent the first half of the year taking cold cases that were once shelved to collect dust. They have always left the active investigations for law enforcement to solve, but as the case morphs into a media frenzy, a disturbing phone call changes everything.Drawn into the dark mind of a killer, Brook and her team arrive at the crime scene where the case takes a stunning turn. The one thing they are absolutely certain of is that a serial killer is emerging from the ashes of his victims, and he's finally come out to play.

A deadly sin turns into a violent obsession in the next pulse-pounding thriller by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne…In an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of a rural town in Northern Illinois, three brutalized bodies were discovered in different stages of decomposition. The crime scene produced no evidence, police had no leads, and the killer vanished back into the murky shadows.Until eight years later…When evil that has been dormant within the community begins to stir, former FBI consultant Brooklyn Sloane is brought onto the case. What she and her team discover is far darker and more twisted than they have ever dealt with before, igniting an urgent manhunt to catch a cold-blooded killer.But this killer is smart, cruel, and has been one step ahead of them the entire time. When Brook begins to unearth the truth, a shocking revelation changes the course of the investigation. She finds herself racing against the clock when the killer is determined to possess another soul, and this time the victim might be a little closer to home.

A chilling confession unleashes deadly secrets in the next riveting thriller by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne… In downtown D.C., an emergency surgery is performed on a prominent psychiatrist following a multi-car accident. The ICU nurse on duty has heard many interesting utterances from her groggy patients over the years. Unfortunately, nothing can prepare her for the disturbing revelation that surfaces from her current patient as he regains consciousness from a drug-induced state. Former FBI consultant Brooklyn Sloane is well acquainted with how doubt and fear can ruin a person's life. It's that reason she takes on a case no one else wants to touch. A respected nurse believes that her patient is a serial killer. A doctor held in the highest esteem by his colleagues, admired by his friends, adored by his family, and who is now claiming his innocence. As each layer of the investigation is pulled back, something sinister begins to emerge from the darkness. Brook and her team eventually find themselves on the brink of a terrifying discovery that will change the dynamics of the case. The dark and twisted truth will ultimately shake D.C.'s high society and shatter lives forever.

Prepare for the chilling echoes of truth to be unraveled one page at a time in the latest psychological thriller by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne… Fear has taken root within a small mountain town as a serial killer stalks the isolated trails of the Smoky Mountains. The remains left behind leave little doubt that the victims have suffered excruciating deaths. The brutal nature of the murders has left a local community shaken and afraid for their own safety. Brooklyn Sloane and her investigative unit are brought in by the FBI to uncover the truth behind these horrific atrocities. After examining the crime scenes, Brook's criminal profile begins to emerge, revealing that the killer is intimately familiar with the terrain. He even possesses a knowledge of the mountains known only to someone who lives amongst the residents. When another hiker goes missing, the stakes are raised and the clock is reset. With the killer hidden in a fog of anonymity, Brook and her team have no choice but to devise an elaborate plan-one that could very well put her own life at risk-to lure the killer out of the shadows.

Prepare yourself for an exciting clash of intellects as two powerful opponents face off in USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne's latest gripping thriller within the Touch of Evil series…Lorelei Jameson, a woman of wealth and mystery, strides purposefully through the doors of S&E Investigations with a mixture of desperation and determination. A year ago, tragedy struck when her younger sister met a horrific end. The cause of death was heinous and unmistakable: a clear, plastic bag had been wrapped around the young woman's head, effectively suffocating her. Now, an eerie sense of déjà vu grips a prominent town as news spreads of another victim succumbing to the same merciless end.Former FBI consultant Brooklyn Sloane agrees to take the case. However, local authorities bristle at the involvement of a private firm muddying their investigation. Brook and her team are met with even more resistance when she reveals a crucial detail from her profile-the killer is a woman.Brook and her team find themselves entangled with a master manipulator. Her relentless pursuit of justice will be tested like never before as the boundaries begin to blur between the hunter and the hunted. Who will be left standing when the twisted game of cat and mouse finally comes to a shocking end?

Fear lurks right around the corner in the next pulse-pounding thriller by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne…In the heart of Washington, D.C., a sinister plot unfolds as the life of one of Brooklyn Sloane's trusted team members hangs in the balance. What at first appears to be a random attack turns into so much more when evidence is retrieved at the scene that suggests a carefully orchestrated plan to eliminate the people closest to her.With Brook's team fractured and not trusting anyone outside her inner circle, she falls back to her core strength-profiling. Each stroke of her pen unravels a bone-chilling revelation, one that takes the form of her own flesh and blood. Jacob Matthew Walsh, a serial killer serving multiple life sentences and Brook's brother, has finally made his move to tear her life apart. He has somehow coordinated the assault from his prison cell, but the puppet on his strings doesn't want to be controlled anymore.Brook will stop at nothing to catch her brother's so-called disciple. She has always attempted to put herself in the minds of killers when she's hunting them, but she'll need to go one step further this time. Will she be able to unravel the twisted web of revenge that binds her, or will the deadly silence swallow her whole?

Dive into the next thrilling installment of the Touch of Evil series by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne…Is anyone ever truly prepared to face the sins of their past?Jordan Miles, revered CEO of Miles Therapeutics, finds himself at the center of a scandal when he is arrested for his wife's murder. Determined to salvage his reputation and prove his innocence, he turns to the one person he believes can hunt down the real killer.Enter Brooklyn Sloane, a former FBI profiler who has spent her career tracking serial murderers. While she typically steers clear of ongoing investigations, her personal acquaintance with Jordan compels her to take the case. The police allege that Jordan shot his wife point-blank during an argument in their bedroom, but Brook doesn't believe for a moment that he is guilty. What secrets has his wife taken to her grave?With the clock ticking and the pressure mounting, Brook warns Jordan that their search for the truth could shatter the illusion of his perfect life. As she and the team peel back the layers of Jordan's seemingly ideal existence, they soon realize the cost of redemption may be higher than they ever dared imagine.

A buried truth resurfaces, unleashing a chilling reality in the next gripping thriller by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne…Brooklyn Sloane, a former FBI profiler, has spent her career overshadowed by her brother's heinous legacy. For years, she has searched for a way to bring Jacob Walsh to justice, haunted by the faces of his victims and the devastation he has left behind. Now, a sliver of hope is in sight, and she fully intends to deliver closure to the shattered families left behind.When a federal prosecutor strikes a plea deal with Jacob, Brook unwillingly finds herself part of the agreement. She reluctantly agrees to accompany him to the remote Alaskan wilderness. Jacob claims he'll reveal the burial site of one of his victims, a young woman whose disappearance has plagued her family for years.Upon landing, however, the team is greeted with a shocking new horror. On the tarmac of the isolated airstrip lies the freshly mutilated body of an unidentified woman. The gruesome scene bears eerie similarities to Jacob's signature style, yet he's been under tight federal custody for years. With no witnesses and a killer potentially hiding in plain sight, Brook and her team must navigate the unforgiving Alaskan frontier. Even worse, she must balance her distrust of her brother against the urgent need to unmask a potentially new killer.

A killer's calling card resurfaces in the chilling next installment of the Touch of Evil series by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne...When the family of Lila Hartman turns to S&E Investigations, they're convinced their daughter was the fourth victim of a murderer who was supposed to be long gone. More than a decade ago, the Photograph Killer terrorized Ohio, sending two Polaroids to local newspapers: one capturing his victim alive, the other showing her strangled with a yellow scarf just twenty-four hours later.Three murders were officially linked to him-until Lila's body surfaced after the killing spree had seemingly ended. Her case went cold. Forgotten.Until now.Hidden among a box of undelivered mail from a shuttered newspaper, a Polaroid of Lila surfaces-proof that the Photograph Killer had claimed at least one more victim. With new evidence in hand, Brooklyn Sloane and her team trace the killer's dark path back to a small Ohio town where his reign of terror first began. But the town guards its secrets-and its sinners-closely. No one welcomes outsiders, especially those digging into a past they've tried to bury.As Brook unearths the truth, she's haunted by a deeper, personal mystery: the disappearance of her brother, Jacob Walsh. His body was never recovered. His fate remains unknown. And sometimes, in the quietest moments, she can still feel him watching.