Splinter in the Blood by Ashley Dyer

Author: Ashley Dyer
Publisher: William Morrow
Date of publication: June 2018

After months of hunting a cold-blooded murderer that the press has dubbed the Thorn Killer, Detective Greg Carver is shot in his own home. His trusted partner, Ruth Lake, is alone with him. Yet instead of calling for help, she’s rearranged the crime scene and wiped the room clean of prints.

But Carver isn’t dead.

Awakening in the hospital, Carver has no memory of being shot, but is certain that his assailant is the Thorn Killer. Though there’s no evidence to support his claim, Carver insists the attack is retaliation, an attempt to scare the detective off the psychopath’s scent, because he’s getting too close. Trapped in a hospital bed and still very weak, Carver’s obsession grows. He’s desperate to get back to work and finally nail the bastard, before more innocent blood is spilled.

One person knows the truth and she’s not telling. She’s also now leading the Thorn Killer investigation while Carver recuperates. It doesn’t matter that Carver and the rest of the force are counting on her, and that more victims’ lives at stake. Ruth is keeping a deadly secret, and she’ll cross every line—sacrificing her colleagues, her career, and maybe even her own life—to keep it from surfacing.

Splinter in the Blood is the first in a new series featuring detectives Carver and Lake.  Ruth Lake finds her partner and friend shot in the chest.  Greg Carver has no memory of what happened leading up to his being shot.   Could it be tied to the serial killer case they have been working on or was it a suicide attempt like Ruth suspects?

The story starts off slow, but is wasn't boring. I as kept guessing enough that I wanted to keep reading. The story is a nice change of pace, because one of the main detectives spends most of his time in the hospital so most of his detective work is worked out in his mind.  Both characters were ones I would like to read about in the future.  I liked their friendship tremendously.  The ending was a surprise.  I was thinking one thing, but was completely wrong. 

I definitely recommend this one.  It's a great debut and I look forward to more from this author in the future.