Booklist Review

Freeman's readers will remember the Ursulina, a mythical forest creature, from The Deep, Deep Snow (2020). That book focused on Shelby Lake, who was abandoned as a baby and grew up to become a sheriff's deputy. In this prequel, Freeman introduces us to Shelby's mother, Rebecca, who is also a deputy, and for whom the Ursulina is no mere myth. Could a recent series of killings be the work of this horrifying beast, or is there a human explanation? Like The Deep, Deep Snow, this book was first released as a well-received Audible audio. No surprise there: the writing is lively, the lead character is appealing, and the story is intriguing. Freeman, who's also written the Jonathan Stride psychological thrillers and two recent Jason Bourne novels, is quite good at keeping a narrative moving while dispensing important information without slowly down for chunks of exposition. Some prequels are written simply to capitalize on a novel's success, but not this one. It's a gripping suspenser that stands on its own two feet and adds new layers to the first book.