In the gripping second installment of the Dot Ybarra/A Bounty of Shadows series, Bait The Devil, Winter Austin takes readers back to the rugged, unforgiving Idaho landscape for a high-stakes investigation that is as personal as it is perilous. Former Army helicopter pilot turned fugitive recovery agent Dot Ybarra is still finding her footing when she is pulled into a chilling case involving the disappearance of several local women. The tension is immediate; what begins as a simple favor for her cousin swiftly spirals into a lethal confrontation involving fugitives, organized crime, and a human trafficking ring. Dot teams up again with the enigmatic T.J. Roman as the search for the missing transforms into a hunt for a predator, forcing Dot to confront her own lingering trauma while fighting to prevent further tragedy.
Austin excels at maintaining a breathless, cinematic pace while grounding the action in the harsh realities of wilderness survival. The novel shines in its character dynamics, particularly the evolving partnership between Dot and T.J. Roman. As they follow a trail of breadcrumbs left by a calculating killer, the emotional stakes rise, testing their professional trust and individual resilience. The procedural details of man-tracking and recovery are rendered with unflinching authenticity, a hallmark of Austin’s writing that fans of hard-edged military and law enforcement thrillers will find deeply satisfying.
As a veteran who appreciates accuracy and depth, I found Bait The Devil to be a superb follow-up that solidifies Dot Ybarra’s place as a formidable lead in contemporary suspense and Winter Austin as an emerging voice in the thriller genre. Austin masterfully balances explosive action sequences with quiet moments of character development, ensuring that the reader is as invested in Dot’s internal healing as they are in the external pursuit. For readers who enjoy the rugged intensity of authors like C.J. Box or Marc Cameron, this series is an absolute must-read. It is a powerful, suspenseful, and ultimately rewarding journey that leaves the audience eager for Dot’s next mission. Start your new year right and make Bait The Devil one of your first reads —you can thank me later.
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Barrington Books
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