Trial By Twelve ~ Heather Day Gilbert

• Series: A Murder in the Mountains
• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (May 12, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1511740493
• ISBN-13: 978-1511740494

Pre order a copy of Trial By Twelve here.

Tess Spencer loves her low-key job at the Crystal Mountain Spa, which allows her plenty of down-time with her one-year old daughter and lawyer husband, Thomas. But when a pool installation turns up eight skeletons in the spa's back yard, Tess becomes entangled in a sleuthing job destined to go awry.

As the investigation gets underway, someone dumps a fresh body near the excavated burial site, confirming unspeakable fears. A serial killer has returned to Buckneck, West Virginia...a skilled hunter with a unique taste in prey.

When Tess agrees to help the cunning Detective Tucker gather clues from the inside, she discovers the posh spa hides more than dead bodies. Even as she sifts through layers of deceit, Tess realizes too late that the killer's sights have zeroed in on her.

Unpredictable psychological mystery replete with memorable characters, Trial by Twelve is Book Two in A Murder in the Mountains series. 

My take on this book:

Trial By Twelve by Heather Day Gilbert takes readers back to Buckneck, WV and this time it seems like there just might be a serial killer or killers on the loose!

Taking a job at Crystal Mountain Spa should have been a very low key,stay out of danger kind of job for Tess Spencer, unfortunately when contractors start digging a new pool out back of the spa they unearth more than anyone bargained for. When numerous bodies are uncovered the local detective assigned to the case asks Tess to help, and she finds herself smack dab in the middle of a case where there could be more than one killer.  As Tess gets closer to the truth she also becomes the next target.  Can figure out who the killer is  before she becomes the next victim?

Heather Day Gilbert's Trial By Twelve provides more  twists than the winding country roads that traverse the hills of Buckneck, WV! A mystery that left me guessing and totally wrong about who the killer was!  A  tightly woven story written in a way that allowed me to feel like I was seeing the events unfold through the eyes of the characters! I love the down to earth, homey feel of the characters and setting. It's very  easy to become a part of the community and story.I love the character of Tess, she is a Glock carrying mom who is determined to look out for others even at the expense of her own safety!  She has a penchant for winding up in the middle of trouble, but that doesn't stop her.Even though Tess grapples with family issues from her past, her strong marriage and the bond she has with the Spencer's really lends a sense of family to the story. While there were several clues as to who the killer might be I found myself totally wrong about who it  was right up until the end which doesn't happen often. I loved the suspense filled mystery but the balance of family and community woven into the story was also enjoyable to read. The breathless ending that the author provided wraps everything up neatly, but the final chapter leaves me anxious to read the next installment in A Murder in the Mountain Series!

Reviewed for Readersfavorite.com