Ellie Matthews

Professor Ellie Matthews swore she would never set foot in another crime scene-but if she doesn't find this predator, she and her students will never be safe. Ellie Matthews' life changed the day she discovered that the brutally dismembered Jane Doe she'd been examining for a month was her estranged mother. In one instant her career as a celebrated criminalist was over and her new life as a quiet academic began. But her tentative peace is shattered when the body of a female student is discovered on college property and a close colleague is named the key suspect. Ellie watches in disbelief as evidence begins to pile up against her good-natured friend and whispers of salacious affairs and toxic secrets spread. When the murder investigation takes a terrifying turn, Ellie is compelled to help, reassuring herself that this is just a job-it isn't personal. But as she races to make sense of the evidence, a predator with everything to lose circles closer, and Ellie is in the crosshairs. Contains mature themes.

A string of targeted kidnappings launches criminalist Ellie Matthews into the midst of a shocking case. After surviving the brutal ordeal of her last investigation, Ellie Matthews just wants to return to teaching, and put her nightmares behind her. But fate has other plans. It isn't long before the reluctant investigator finds herself drawn back into the field. And once again, tragedy strikes close to home . . . Ellie's mentor, Sheriff Jayne Walsh, reaches out to her with a desperate plea for help. A series of women have gone missing. Each victim is a family member of a law enforcement professional. And each one has turned up dead. Now, the latest victim is Jayne's niece . . . Struggling to piece together a series of cryptic poems left by the killer, Ellie must work hand in hand with her old partner, plus a combative FBI agent who seems to butt heads with her at every turn. But when the trail leads to a cold case from Ellie's past, she quickly discovers the killer's vendetta may be even more personal than she thought. Now time is running out, and the murderer is poised to strike again . . . Contains mature themes.

Criminalist Ellie Matthews' latest case pushes her to the brink, both personally and professionally, as she throws herself into the hunt for a twisted killer. Determined to leave her traumatic past behind and turn over a new leaf, former criminalist Ellie Matthews is taking some time for herself. Competitive running and a budding relationship with FBI Agent Vic Manetti are working wonders. But after she stumbles upon a woman brutally murdered on a local running trail, Ellie dives headfirst back into a dangerous world. A photo of the victim's gruesome killing explodes online, and a string of chilling threats quickly thrusts Ellie into a desperate race to unmask the culprit before any more innocents die. But to solve the case, she'll need to salvage her strained relationship with her old partner, Detective Nick Baxter. With tensions threatening to boil over and loyalties pushed to the breaking point, Ellie, Nick and Agent Manetti must delve into the twisted mind of an elusive murderer. But what they discover will shock them all, and it might be too much for Ellie to bear . . . Contains mature themes.

The case seemed open and shut. But there are secrets below the surface that somebody will kill to protect . . . When an unidentifiable body turns up at an abandoned water park, expert criminalist Ellie Matthews is recruited to once again step into a puzzling investigation that has "cold case" written all over it. Still nursing old wounds as she navigates a tense relationship with her former partner, and frustrated over a dead-end investigation, Ellie finds solace in her close friend, Vic Manetti. Ellie barely has time to regroup before a beloved local reporter is found dead in an apparent murder-suicide. Paired up with a lively out-of-town detective and tasked with unraveling a complex network of leads, Ellie begins to retrace the explosive stories that the late journalist had been working on-only to uncover heinous secrets that somebody is willing to kill to protect. The closer she looks, the more tangled the case becomes. With the media ready to condemn the reporter's husband as a monster, Ellie and her new partner must put their lives on the line to expose the sinister truth behind the murders-and to avoid becoming victims themselves. Contains mature themes.

Ellie knows she can't live without her partner, Detective Nick Baxter. So when Nick's brother is accused of vandalizing the house of his former kidnapper, she insists on accompanying Nick home to help with the family crisis. Marie Collins has just been released from prison after serving her time for kidnapping Shawn Baxter when he was a toddler. Reviled by the whole town, no one is surprised at the defacement of her property, and Ellie and Nick are able to bring Shawn in to face the consequences of his petty crime. Thinking the situation successfully handled and preparing to leave town, Ellie and Nick are blindsided when a dead body is found in a barn. On Baxter property. And the victim is Marie Collins. Now the entire town thinks they are guilty of murder and Ellie is quickly discovering that she prefers being an investigator to being a prime suspect. Calling in Vic Manetti for backup, the trio must dig into Marie Collins' past, unearthing disturbing secrets and a list of potential suspects that keeps getting longer. But they are playing a dangerous game. Because this killer has gone through hell to get their revenge and won't let anyone undo their good work. Contains mature themes.

The relative tranquility of Ellie Matthews's life is shattered when her estranged stepfather Marcus resurfaces, pleading for help against an unknown danger. Ellie's peaceful sanctuary is quickly tainted by an ongoing murder investigation. The victim: Marcus's ex-wife, Katie. When investigators set out to question Marcus, he is nowhere to be found. In a jarring twist, Marcus dies in an apparent drug overdose. When Ellie and Detective Baxter search Marcus's residence after his demise, they find unsettling evidence linking him to a series of murders, including the death of Ellie's own mother. Despite the mounting evidence against Marcus, the case isn't sitting right with Ellie. Was Marcus a cold-blooded killer, or was he being set up for the perfect crime? When the FBI is pulled in to help with the case, Ellie is brought onto the task force to uncover Marcus's dubious past. It is only after she receives a threat of violence that Ellie realizes that her own family may be the next target. But with every secret exposed, Ellie finds herself further ensnared in a mystery that not only threatens her life but has her doubting everything she's ever believed about her past. Contains mature themes.