When Death Draws Near

by Carrie Stuart Parks Narrated by Lauren Ezzo

Overview

Gwen Marcey takes death in stride. Until she's faced with her own mortality.



Forensic artist Gwen Marcey is between jobs when she accepts temporary work in Pikeville, Kentucky-a small town facing big-city crime. But before Gwen can finish her first drawing of the serial rapist who is on the loose, the latest witness vanishes. Just like all the others.



Gwen suspects a connection between the rapist and the "accidental" deaths that are happening around town, but the local sheriff has little interest in her theories. When her digitally-obsessed teenage daughter joins her, Gwen turns her attention to a second assignment: going undercover in a serpent-handling church. She could get a handsome reward for uncovering illegal activity-a reward she desperately needs, as it seems her breast cancer has returned. But snakes aren't the only ones ready to kill. Can Gwen uncover the truth-and convince anyone to believe her-before she becomes a victim herself?



In a thrilling race against time, When Death Draws Near plunges us into cold-case murders, shady politics, and a den of venomous suspects.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

06/13/2016
In Parks’s (The Bones Will Speak) third Gwen Marcey Novel forensic sketch artist Marcey travels to Pikeville, Ky., for what is supposed to be a temporary assignment. While helping solve a serial rapist case, she is drawn into a second open case of seemingly accidental deaths. After receiving a chilling death threat and a growing number of odd questions from the investigating officers, Marcey becomes suspicious of everyone and decides she must rely solely on herself to figure out what is really happening in Pikeville. With no one to turn to, Marcey must rely on her faith and wits to maintain hope in such bleak circumstances. Making use of her artistic and forensic skills, she slowly homes in on a stranger living in the community as the prime suspect. And the deeper she digs, the more the evidence mounts connecting the two separate cases. With no time to waste, Marcey must use her investigative skills to solve the dangerously entwined cases before more victims are harmed. The compelling crimes, inscrutable community, and resilient heroine propel Parks’s latest thrill-packed installment in the chronicles of no-nonsense Gwen Marcey. (Aug.)

RT Book Reviews

4 1/2 stars. 'Carrie Stuart Parks’ latest novel is her best yet. Written with an open mind toward highly controversial subject matter —- snake handling in religion —- she gives voice to the characters who most would deem crazy or cult-like. The action begins at page one, and the suspense doesn't let go until the very end. Readers continually shift and change their perception of what is going on and who is behind it. It all culminates with a shocking and unexpected climax that does not disappoint.'

Library Journal

06/15/2016
At the forefront of Park's second series outing (after The Bones Will Speak) is a string of crimes taking place in a small town of Kentucky; a rapist and murderer is on the loose, and the sheriff has called in forensic artist Gwen Marcey to help him solve the crimes (even though he doesn't believe in her theories). Things get a little dicey when Gwen's daughter joins her in the community, but Gwen will do anything to keep her daughter safe and earn the reward she so desperately needs. Forensic artist Parks has written a suspenseful mystery series that mingles faith with a tightly paced plot. Each book introduces a different type of religious practice or belief; snake handling is the focus here. VERDICT This fast moving and readable thriller will delight fans of Dee Henderson, Brandilyn Collins, and Terri Blackstock.—Shondra Brown, Wakarusa P.L., IN

Product Details

BN ID:	2940177400969
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	02/18/2020
Series:	Gwen Marcey , #3
Edition description:	Unabridged

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