The Devil’s Playground is the fourth novel in the Detective Alyssa Wyatt series by Charly Cox. This time, I listened to the audio narrated by Kate Zane. Detective Wyatt and her partner are investigating a brutal, seemly random murder when they stumble into something sinister. Grab your earbuds and see why I enjoy this series and audio.
by Charly Cox
Series: Detective Alyssa Wyatt #4
Narrator: Kate Zane
Length: 11 hours and 15 minutes
Genres: Crime Fiction
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.4x
From behind her came a noise, and she whirled around. Two pairs of cold, murderous eyes stared back at her from beneath hooded cloaks. She stood cemented in place, even as her brain screamed at her to run…
It’s their usual Thursday girls’ night in, and best friends Skye, Elena, and London are enjoying hanging out at Skye’s house in New Mexico, eating junk food, drinking wine, and playing with Skye’s little children, Carter and Abigail.
Until the intruders arrive.
Hearing the horrific screams from Elena and Skye, London hides the children, tiptoes out to see what has happened… and disappears.
After Carter raises the alarm, Detective Alyssa Wyatt is called in to investigate a bloodbath that appears to have no motive, no evidence, and worse still – no sign of London.
As Alyssa and her team dig deeper, the truth is always out of their reach… but what is clear is that they need to find London, and fast.
And as they uncover a link between the murders and a sinister local cult, can Alyssa find the young woman who has vanished without a trace – before London joins the list of victims?
Meet Detective Alyssa Wyatt. Mom, Wife… and a serial killer’s worst nightmare.
Thursday Night girl’s night at the home of single mom Skylar turns deadly and soon Detective Alyssa Wyatt and her partner, Detective Cord Roberts, are called to the scene. They find two dead bodies, three wine glasses and hiding in the closet, six-year-old Carter and his three-year-old sister Abigail.
From the first chapter, Cox pulled me into the story, sharing with us moments of the attack before detectives arrive on the scene. Throughout the story, we get perspectives from London, the kidnapped victim.
I like and respect Alyssa Wyatt. Her gut instincts and observations make her the voice of justice for the victims she encounters. She gets personal with her cases and is a voice for the victims. She and her partner Cord make a great team.
The author wove a chilling tale, laying out red herrings, and clues that lead our detectives to discover they are dealing with more than just a murder. The children pulled at my heartstrings, especially Carter.
The voice of London will send chills down your spine as you root for her. I held my breath. While most of the violence perpetrated by her captors was off page, the author painted a clear picture and you could feel her fear, panic and struggle.
Kate Zane narrates, and I am delighted I listened. Zane captured Detective Wyatt and Cord perfectly. Her voices for London and the children rang true, as did the villains. Her performance enhanced my enjoyment of the case.
Fans of crime cases, murder mysteries and procedurals will want to check out The Devil’s Playground and the rest of the series.
The Devil's Playground by Charly Cox, narrated by Kate Zane, delivered a chilling murder/kidnapping case that will keep listeners on edge. #audiobook #audiobookreview #JuneisAudiobookMonth #Crime #Mystery #DetectiveAlyssaWyatt Share on XAbout Charly Cox
Born in the South, raised in the Midwest, Charly now resides in the Southwest in the Land of Enchantment where she enjoys eating copious amounts of green chile and other spicy foods. When she's not reading, writing, or plotting sinister evils with her antagonists, she enjoys doing jigsaw and crossword puzzles, hanging out with her husband and her spoiled Siberian Husky, visiting her son in Arizona, and traveling, preferably to places surrounded by sun, sand, and warm uncrowded beaches.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Katherine
Oh this looks good! I especially love the sound of the violence being mostly off page but being able to clearly grasp the characters emotions. I will have to pick up the first book in audio.
Anne - Books of My Heart
I’ve really loved all the books in this series.
Ethan
This is the exact kind of mystery that I can’t resist. I’m particularly curious as to how the children will play into solving this one!
Kimberly
Enjoy Ethan!
Wendy
Wonderful review, Kimberly. I liked how you could feel the emotions of the lead character as you listened to the book
Nadene
Ah! My kind of story. Great review, Kim.
Lover of Romance
What a great review you wrote for this one. And wow this story sounds so intense. I do love authors that can really capitalize on the various levels of emotion that the characters are feeling in their experiences especially the more intense ones.
Maureen @ Maureen's Books
Amazing review. This sounds like a great one.
ailyn koay
that sounds like a good halloween story to me, pretty scary sounding
Debbie Haupt
Great review Kim and chills down my spine is exactly what I want when I listen to this type of book. What a great/scary premise. I’m going to be checking this out. Thanks
Lorna
I’ve been waiting for this one and had not realized it was out. I’m going to get the audio on your page. I love this series. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Kimberly
Yay. Happy listening Lorna!