China Lake (Evan Delaney #1) by Meg Gardiner

'Behold a pale horse and its rider's name was Death . . . they were given power over a fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.'

The Reverend Pete Wyoming is arming his flock - and not just with the scriptures. The way he sees it, the end of the world is nigh and he's ready for judgement. But judgement comes in unexpected ways. . .

Evan Delaney is shocked to discover that her ex-sister-in-law has joined The Remnant - Wyoming's fanatical band of disciples. And that Tabitha is trying to regain custody of her six-year-old son, Luke, currently in Evan's care while his father is posted to the Naval Air Warfare Center.

Along with her boyfriend, lawyer Jesse Blackburn, Evan tackles The Remnant head-on, convinced that they have some more sinister agenda than is immediately apparent.

Two bloody deaths and one kidnap attempt later, Evan realises she's started down a long road - the one to hell.

Med Gardiner's debut novel is a no-holds-barred ride through a woman's worst nightmare. Complexly plotted and richly textured, it commands attention from the very first page. Among a case of vividly realised characters, Evan Delaney is a heroine for our times: a woman with a big heart, a quick tongue and a hot temper that gets her into trouble. Readers will applaud Evan's arrival and long for her return.