ARC REVIEW: Will To Live – by Rachel Amphlett @RachelAmphlett

Title: Will To Live
(Detective Kay Hunter #2)
Author: Rachel Amphlett
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
First published: April 1st 2017
Publisher: Saxon Publishing
Finished reading: June 20th 2018
Pages: 324

“He understood grief, all right. It was savage; all-consuming. Every waking moment was spent wondering what it would be like now if she were still alive.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I know I’m kind of late when it comes to the whole Detective Kay Hunter party, but I’m definitely glad I’m finally catching up. Why? Let’s just say my second experience with Kay Hunter was another excellent one, and this series is quickly turning into another favorite of mine. There is just something about the main character that makes it really easy to like her, and of course the whole mystery around what happened will have you intrigued. I’m rooting for Kay here! Book number two, Will To Live, is just as good as the first and will give you another glimpse into Kay’s private life as well as a new chilling murder investigation to follow. The detective has a great team behind her, and their characters are both well fleshed out and likeable on their own. It makes it easy to imagine yourself among them as one of the team, and you will find yourself completely drawn into the story the whole time. The case they had to investigate in Will To Live is without doubt interesting and touches the sensitive topic of railway suicides. The development of the plot is subtle with well placed twists and new insights; the descriptions adding the right atmosphere of suspense to the story. I did guess a few of the twists early on, but I was too busy turning pages and enjoying myself to really let that bother me. I had a blast spending more time with Kay Hunter and I can’t wait to read the next book now.

WARNING: Possible spoilers! Please don’t read this summary if you haven’t read the first book of this series yet. I’ll keep the summary super short but it’s impossible to keep it completely spoiler-free…

What seems to be another suicide on a stretch of train track locally known as ‘suicide mile’, ends up being something even more sinister. Detective Kay Hunter and her team are called in after a packed commuter train runs over a body under suspicous circumstances. Suspicious, because they have a witness stating that the man was asking for help just before the train arrived. They soon find evidence to confirm they are truly dealing with murder. And things escalate even further when another call comes in… Are they dealing with a new serial killer? Or are the two deaths just a coincidence?

I’m still kicking myself for not starting this series sooner, but at least I’m reading it now. Book number two was just as good as my first experience and I’m really looking forward to spend even more time with Kay Hunter. It’s really easy to connect to her character and she is part of the reason this series works so well. The mystery around her background story will keep you on edge! Will To Live has an intriguing, although somewhat subtle plot with just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. I did predict a few things early on, but somehow this didn’t make Will To Live any less entertaining to read and the ending is satisfying. Now bring it on, One To Watch!