The Fear of Series, Books 1-3

The Hannah Jacobs Trilogy

De: S.C. Sterling

Narrado por: Jess Nahikian

The Fear of Winter: Book One

In this immersive thriller a father resumes the search for his missing daughter after the case of her disappearance goes cold. Great for fans of Gillian Flynn, Stieg Larsson, Tana French and Mary Kubica.

On a frigid December night, Megan Floyd vanishes from the mountain town of Fraser, Colorado. The extensive search provides no answers and as attention of her disappearance fades, the case goes cold. Her father, Tom Floyd, is forced to confront his worst fear that his daughter will never be found, and soon his life and marriage begin to disintegrate around him.

A year after the disappearance and with no new leads, Tom hires private investigator Marshall York, a former detective, and his assistant Hannah Jacobs. They soon start to uncover the secrets of Megan’s dangerous second life, all while fighting their own demons. Tom is guilt-ridden over a missing child case from his past, and Hannah is haunted by the unsolved murder of her older sister.

The case begins to consume all three of their lives, and as they dig deeper, they start to unravel the dark truth of what happened to Megan.

The Fear of Fire: Book Two

Private investigator Hannah Jacobs hunts for her sister’s killer and uncovers a series of unsolved murders. A gripping mystery perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Karin Slaughter, Mary Stone and Lisa Jewell.

As a teenager, Hannah Jacobs was excited for a sleepover with her older sister Casey, but a blizzard altered their plans. Sometime that night, an unknown killer broke into Casey’s apartment in Laramie, Wyoming, and brutally stabbed her multiple times, leaving her for dead.

Ten years later, Hannah is still haunted by the murder of her sister that fateful night, and with no viable suspects the case has long turned cold, nearly forgotten by everyone except her.

Determined to uncover the truth, Hannah shutters her Private Investigation firm and travels to Laramie. With the help of a local amateur sleuth, Hannah discovers a series of murders linked to her sister, and evidence of a possible serial killer targeting young woman throughout the region.

As she delves deeper into the unsolved murders, Hannah’s life is thrust into jeopardy, and she finds herself in a race to find the killer before she becomes his next victim.

The Fear of Drowning: Book Three

Hannah Jacobs searches for her missing stepsister inside a violent cult ruled by a maniacal leader. A chilling psychological thriller perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Tana French, and Rachel Hawkins.

With no other options, Hannah’s estranged mother pleads for her help in finding her missing stepdaughter, Emily. Last seen at the secluded Seven Day Saints compound in the desolate Utah border town of Echo Canyon.

Reluctant at first, Hannah agrees to take the case and soon discovers that Seven Day Saints are ruled by one man, Kenneth Pratt—a maniacal leader with absolute power over his followers and influence that makes him nearly untouchable by the law. Under his control, the community is plagued by violence, polygamy, forced marriage, and accounts of sexual abuse.

With the help of another investigator, a reporter, and a former member who barely escaped with her life, Hannah goes undercover in Echo Canyon, determined to find Emily and expose the dark secrets of Seven Day Saints.

©2023, 2024, 2026 Scott. C. Sterling (P)2026 Scott. C. Sterling

A gritty and violent ride at full speed and no brakes

For someone who generally avoids mysteries and thrillers, I am over the top delighted and stunned by the amazing stories in this series. Each contains entirely believable and hyper-realistic portrayals of dangerous situations, emotional-physical reactions, and vibrant descriptions. Book 1 sets a dark tone with disturbing material, both startling and visceral. Books 2 and 3 exude strong vibes of Jessica Jones as private investigator Hannah Jacobs engages in drinking, self-harm, and seeking brutal vigilante justice for the victims of violent and brutal crimes. Narration by Jess Nahikian is absolute perfection in every way, with distinctive voices and guttural snarls. [Disclosure: I received this title for free and listened at 2.0x.]

Strong women

The main character, Hannah, and just about everyone else in the book were always smoking. I realize the book was set in the 90s and possibly people smoked more than today. Hannah was on a self destructive spiral but by the end of book 3 she recovered from her grief. I recommend all 3 books in the series. The author knows how to write scenes filled with tension, and show multiple sides of the main character.