Showing results by author "Mary Stone" in All Categories

Thirteen years ago, Winter Black came home early from a sleepover to find her parents brutally murdered and her little brother gone — taken by a serial killer called The Preacher. Now a rookie FBI agent assigned to her first murder case, Winter has returned to the small Virginia town where she grew up. But when bones found by a hunter lead to the discovery of a secret burial ground containing the remains of children, the investigation suddenly hits close to home as the past and future collide with each new shocking discovery.

A bank robbery turns into a blood trail as a pair of unhinged masterminds hack their way through a list of the most notorious US heists. The copycat crimes, emulating famous robberies, escalate as the FBI work with local law enforcement. But the federal team has problems of its own. Sun Ming, Winter Black’s partner and nemesis, has her own agenda, while Winter can’t keep her mind off The Preacher, the notorious serial killer who murdered her parents and holds the key to finding her missing little brother.

When a man washes up onto Shadow Island, Sheriff Rebecca West has a moment of déjà vu. This isn’t the first body the ocean spat out on one of her beaches, but it’s the first one she’s found alive. Barely. The brutal gunshot wounds to the victim’s hand and the lower part of his face indicate he was shot offshore and dumped overboard, but there’s no boat or perpetrator. Just a few cryptic clues before the victim becomes unresponsive.

Private detective Winter Black finally knows the identity of the puppeteer behind the recent string of murders she’s been entangled in investigating—the same man who’s been stalking and tormenting her for weeks. But when he leaves recent photographs he took of her and Noah, her husband’s eyes scratched out, his vendetta becomes frighteningly real. And terrifyingly personal. Because Noah is missing. The nightmare becomes disturbingly real when Noah’s wedding band is placed on Winter’s doorstep, accompanied by a taunting note written in cryptic, video game jargon.

Just a few short months ago, Sheriff Rebecca West thought her toughest battles were behind her. But nothing could have prepared her for the turmoil she’s faced since coming to Shadow Island. Attempts on her life. Heartbreak. Betrayal. And that’s just the beginning. The worst is yet to come. Still reeling from the shocking discovery of who’s behind Shadow Island’s exclusive and depraved "men’s" club, Rebecca is determined to take them down. There’s only one problem. One by one, the members end up dead. Tongues cut out, hands chopped off—the message is clear...

Dr. Autumn Trent returns to Virginia after successfully assisting the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit yet again. Part of her heart remains in Florida with her long-lost sister whose trail has evaporated, but she moves forward to focus on her work as a forensic and criminal psychologist. Intent on doing just that, she heads to Virginia State Hospital, where the prodigy of The Preacher awaits her return. Justin Black becomes the least of her worries when a new case practically falls in Autumn’s lap.

As the sun dips toward the horizon at Dee’s Dock, a yacht ignites more than just the evening sky— it sparks yet another deadly mystery on Shadow Island. Sheriff Rebecca West leads the charge as the tight-knit community bands together to battle the blaze. But as the smoke clears, a chilling discovery is made... arson is only the beginning, and the charred remains aboard signal murder.

This killer is setting the world on fire. One house at a time. Special Agent Amelia Storm thought she’d seen the darkest corners of humanity after facing a killer who exploited social media to broadcast his twisted “message.” But her latest case in the FBI Violent Crimes Unit plunges her into a new nightmare—one that catapults her from the frying pan into the fire. Literally. In the dead of night, an affluent Chicago neighborhood becomes a hellscape as an arsonist claims an entire family, leaving nothing but charred remains and unanswered questions. This is no isolated incident.

The Preacher is dead, the case solved, but now, Special Agent Winter Black’s missing brother seems to be taunting her, leaving a trail that leads back to their old house in Harrisonburg. As she learns more, Winter must fight the urge to revert to that primal part of herself that was set on secrecy and vengeance during the investigation of her parents’ murder. Especially now that her best friend and partner Noah Dalton’s own past has come back to play.

When Sheriff Rebecca West answers a late-night dispatch about a fatal car accident on the bridge, she fears the worst. The victim isn't just any driver—he’s her informant. The man who risked everything to send her a thumb drive exposing the monster who shattered her life. He was on his way to Shadow Island, seeking her protection.

On the heels of receiving evidence hinting at the motive behind her father’s murder, Sheriff Rebecca West confronts a horrific crime scene. A pregnant woman has been brutally attacked in her home, her unborn baby ripped from her womb. But this is more than assault. It’s an abduction of the worst kind. Now, a newborn is in the hands of a monster. Determined to follow every lead, Rebecca locks down the island, launching an all-out search for the missing infant. But as the mother fights for her life, Rebecca uncovers chilling evidence of a man obsessed with the young mother.

Sometimes, the beginning is the end. For 13 years, FBI Special Agent Winter Black has been haunted by a man who performed heinous acts. Murdering her parents. Abducting her baby brother. Leaving her in a coma that changed her life forever. For 13 years, she’s suffered mentally and physically. Often doubted her sanity and ability to move forward to achieve her goal of bringing that brutal man down. Thirteen years of regret. Of hope. Of fear. Of hate.

Human webs are the deadliest...When Ryan O’Connelly - the unwilling accomplice of a bank robber turned mass murderer - slipped out of the FBI’s grasp, no one expected to hear from him again, much less of his own volition. But when he shows up at the FBI’s doorstep after almost a year of successful evasion, he has information to point Special Agent Winter Black in the direction of a brutal serial killer.

When the survivors of the massacre at the Riverside Mall are murdered one after the other, the police suspect a serial killer and turn to the FBI. Winter Black is on the case, working to track down the third person involved in the mass shooting that happened the same night she took down The Preacher, the man who killed her parents. The hit list is long, while the list of suspects is short, and when the killer ends up dead, the suspect list narrows down to a pinpoint.

Six months ago, on the night Winter Black and her fellow agents took down The Preacher, a mall massacre occurred. Today, one of the gunmen responsible for taking 15 innocent lives that night is killed - with a well-placed bullet fired from nearly a mile away. Clearly a professional, either military or law enforcement, the sniper leaves zero evidence, other than a note.

The last act has begun… A week ago, a woman’s body was found in a park. A day later, images of her death surfaced on the dark web. A snuff film depicting the horror of her final moments. The murder was shocking. The video was worse. Now, a second victim has been found. And yet another film is spreading. FBI Special Agent Amelia Storm has seen horror before, but this case is different. Too calculated. Too performative. Too real. With her former case partner—and now lover—back at her side, she’s racing to unmask the monster behind the camera before he casts his next victim.

For more than 13 years, special agent Winter Black has believed her little brother was dead - kidnapped and murdered by The Preacher, the same lunatic who killed her parents. A lead into Justin’s whereabouts brings her out of her hiatus to chase it, but other cases need her attention, too. At the FBI, tensions are high when a body is dug up, encased in a 55-gallon drum. The team soon realizes they aren’t hunting the typical serial killer, but a skilled surgeon.

The serial killer who slaughtered Winter’s parents has come out of retirement, leaving bloody victims in his wake. Special Agent Winter Black has spent her entire life preparing for this moment, and she intends to end the man who took everything from her and solve the disappearance of her little brother — no matter the cost.

Sheriff Rebecca West knows she’s being watched. She’s seen the same car parked along the road—always at a distance, always watching. Even more concerning, the man with damning evidence against the senator tied to her parents’ deaths claims he’s being followed too.

He tortured her husband. Now he wants her soul. Private Investigator Winter Black has faced monsters before. But Erik Waller is something else entirely—a sadistic fanboy of her serial killer brother who’s obsessed with proving he’s the ultimate predator. He’s already left her family scarred and bleeding. Now he’s taken a boy. Just like Justin once did. But Erik isn’t copying Winter’s past. He’s rewriting it, turning her memories into a blueprint for fresh horrors. And he wants her front and center for the grand finale.