“Sandra Parshall’s marvelous storytelling skills are on full display in Bleeding Through. Colorful new characters and a twisting, turning plot highlight this first-rate whodunit.”
—Julia Spencer-Fleming, New York Times bestselling author of the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries
“Rachel’s fifth adventure (Under the Dog Star, 2011, etc.) combines nervewracking suspense with a twisty mystery.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Parshall’s satisfying fifth Rachel Goddard mystery (after 2011’s Under the Dog Star) finds the northern Virginia veterinarian living with her beau, Deputy Sheriff Tom Bridger, and dealing with a case that literally hits too close to home. Shortly before her sister, Michelle, arrives for a stay at the couple’s old farmhouse, Rachel and Tom come across the body of missing law school student Shelley Beecher along a highway in rural Mason County. In the subsequent investigation, Tom unearths tensions that have festered in the county ever since Shelley’s attempt to exonerate convicted murderer Vince Lankford for beating another man, Brian Hadley, to death. Meanwhile, Rachel struggles to rescue Michelle from a breakdown brought on by vicious calls and texts from a stalker who appears to have followed her from her Maryland home. Well-developed characters complement the well-paced plot.”
—Publishers Weekly
“This suspense-filled novel is built around characters you care about, especially its protagonist, Dr. Rachel Goddard, veterinarian extraordinaire… The background of Rachel and [her sister] Michelle, fascinating and horrifying, as well as their present relationship, is carefully revealed to the reader, as is each sister’s ambivalence toward her live-in lover and husband, respectively. The pov alternates between that of Rachel and Tom, and the writing is fast-paced and well-plotted. The threats, and the tension, escalate to the point that I was torn between not wanting to find out what happens next and not being able to turn the pages fast enough. The novel is terrifically entertaining, and recommended.”
—Gloria Feit, Spinetingler Magazine
“What Parshall has achieved so well in this series is the development of so many real and evolving characters who have been forced to change by the traumatizing events they’ve endured. The secrets discovered and then buried by Rachel in the first book, The Heat of the Moon, continue to have resonating effects, and as she releases them she finds that she is finally allowed to have a fuller life. The author balances multiple plots exceedingly well, and she as well creates so many characters who are never truly evil or completely good. Everyone has some damage and vulnerability; it’s just that some are better at having found ways to cope and pull themselves out of the turmoil. Rachel still manages to find some time to care for her patients, but the focus of this novel is on her relationship with her sister and Rachel’s continual need to care for others. Despite the serious themes, the tone of the novel never becomes too dark and the dialogue remains witty and sharp. This is a compulsively enjoyable read.”
—Cynthia Chow, Kings River Life Magazine
“The intricate plot of Bleeding Through delivers a satisfying story about how families pull together—or fall apart—during crises. Veterinarian Rachel Goddard and her live-in boyfriend Deputy Sheriff Tom Bridger have brought a group of teenagers to clean up roadside trash in rural northern Virginia. But Megan Beecher isn’t as thrilled as her classmates about this high school civics project. Megan’s sister, Shelley, has been missing for more than a month, having disappeared while working on a law school project to exonerate Vance Lankford, convicted of killing a local man. The discovery of Shelley’s body during the outing pushes Megan even further into depression. While Tom investigates Shelley’s murder, Rachel deals with a case closer to home. Her sister, Michelle, claims she is being stalked, bombarded with threatening phone calls and notes, and is the victim of odd breakins at her office. Michelle, fragile in the best of situations, has no proof, and even her husband doubts her, but Rachel slowly begins to believe her sister. Parshall delivers a solid look at small-town angst and how grief can permeate a family’s every decision. Shelley’s family is griefstricken over her death, as are the relatives of the murdered man who believe Lankford was guilty. Parshall’s debut in this series, The Heat of the Moon, won the 2007 Agatha for best first novel. As Bleeding Through proves, Parshall’s series keeps getting better.”
—Oline H. Cogdill, Mystery Scene Magazine