Review: The Next One To Fall by Hilary Davidson

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (February 14, 2012)
• ISBN-10: 0765326981
• Source: Publisher

Three months after the events of The Damage Done, travel writer Lily Moore is still grieving the loss of her sister. Her best friend, photographer Jesse Robb, convinces her to join him on a trip to Peru. Lily reluctantly agrees. Not long after their arrival, Jesse and Lily are visiting Machu Picchu, the famous Lost City of the Incas, when they find a woman, at the brink of death, laying at the base of an ancient stone staircase.  With her last breaths, she tells Lily the name of the man who killed her.

When the local police arrive and begin their investigation, the evidence they uncover doesn’t match what Lily experienced. They are prepared to rule it out as a suicide, the woman a drug addict. Unable to accept this, partially due to her own experience with a drug addict in her family, Lily begins her own investigation, hunting down the woman’s travel companion. In doing so, she reveals a history of series of dead or missing women, all tied to this man.  She soon discovers the police aren’t the only individuals who would like this “crime” swept under the carpet, and both she and Jesse embark upon an incredibly dangerous journey to seek justice for these women.

Davidson’s own experience as a travel writer shines through in her beautifully detailed writing. The setting is painted so vividly for the reader, even the most mundane details and sites sound exquisite.  As with her previous book, The Next One to Fall is an incredibly exciting, pulse-pounding book,  led by an incredibly strong and unrelenting female character. The grief Lily experiences is fuel for the passion she has in seeking justice for the victims of this dangerous man.  Full of unexpected twists and turns, ending with the reader hoping (and expecting) more, this is a novel and an author you can’t afford to miss out on. Highly recommended!

Following are some pictures the author took on her own visit to Peru during her research for this book. Absolutely breathtaking!