Bad Blood by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

When Cassie Hobbes joined the FBI’s Naturals program, she had one goal: uncover the truth about her mother’s murder. But now, everything Cassie thought she knew about what happened that night has been called into question. Her mother is alive, and the people holding her captive are more powerful—and dangerous—than anything the Naturals have faced so far. As Cassie and the team work to uncover the secrets of a group that has been killing in secret for generations, they find themselves racing a ticking clock.

The bodies begin piling up, the deaths hit closer and closer to home, and it soon becomes apparent that this time, the Naturals aren’t just hunting serial killers.

They’re being hunted themselves.


This review for the finale in the Naturals series so going to be short, mostly because I don't want to give anything away. I will say I'm really glad I read books three and four so close together because the story stretches over both of them.

So, after the events of book three, we have a proper lead for Cassie's mother's case and it turns out to be pretty heart-breaking. Most of the story was about the big picture behind Cassie's mother and the band of serial killers that kidnapped her. But as Michael's childhood friend goes missing and fears she is their next victim, we learn more about Michael's guarded past and family, much of it becomes clear when we meet his father. Urgh, that man made my skin crawl and I suddenly understood why Michael pushes peoples buttons the way he does. 

This a really well written finale, as loose ends come together and Cassie remembers crucial details about her past when the case takes them to a small town that Cassie used to call home and clues lead them to the friendly neighbourhood cult. Speaking of, this is where Lia came into herself. We didn't get nearly as much as detail about Lia's back story as I would have liked but with her, every scrap of information is like gold dust and you piece together what you can. 

But the star of the show was Cassie; not just because it was her mother's case but also because she really stepped up, I think. Cassie was the only one who had memories of this town, pieces dangling just out of reach, and when it became deadly, she was brave and smart. I did totally have my heart in my throat though, and practically had whiplash from all the wrong turns and false leads but when the truth finally came out - holy crap! Definitely worth the wait! This is one of my favourite series, I might have mentioned before, and the finale was just as incredible and mind-blowing as the rest of the series. 

Published 1st November 2016 by Disney-Hyperion.