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Law of Sandtown #1
The Scorched Girls
She's the law in a lawless society...
In a commune in the middle of the Californian desert, a trailer is burning.
During the early hours of a hot summer morning, Detective Lawrey Winters is called to the discovery of the bodies of a young couple inside a charred trailer home.
This isn't the first time a trailer has been set on fire in the commune of Sandtown, but normally the owners aren't inside.
The locals are notoriously closed-lipped. They believe in protecting their own and the police aren’t welcome.
Except Lawrey has a connection to Sandtown—her son, a troubled addict—lives there, too.
The fire in the trailer stirs up more questions than answers. What happened to the young couple? Why did they make no attempt to escape?
Lawrey digs into their past and learns they were on the run. Was the person after them the same one who killed them?
As her investigation uncovers secrets the towns’ resident would never want the police to know, Lawrey is forced to face the truth.
Is there anyone she can trust?
Don’t miss out on the nail-biting first book in this brand new crime thriller series! Download today.
During the early hours of a hot summer morning, Detective Lawrey Winters is called to the discovery of the bodies of a young couple inside a charred trailer home.
This isn't the first time a trailer has been set on fire in the commune of Sandtown, but normally the owners aren't inside.
The locals are notoriously closed-lipped. They believe in protecting their own and the police aren’t welcome.
Except Lawrey has a connection to Sandtown—her son, a troubled addict—lives there, too.
The fire in the trailer stirs up more questions than answers. What happened to the young couple? Why did they make no attempt to escape?
Lawrey digs into their past and learns they were on the run. Was the person after them the same one who killed them?
As her investigation uncovers secrets the towns’ resident would never want the police to know, Lawrey is forced to face the truth.
Is there anyone she can trust?
Don’t miss out on the nail-biting first book in this brand new crime thriller series! Download today.
- GenresThriller
293 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 17, 2023
129 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
M.K. Farrar
40 books147 followersM K Farrar had penned more than ten novels of psychological noir and crime fiction. A British author, she lives in the countryside with her three children and a menagerie of rescue pets. When she’s not writing—which isn’t often—she balances out all the murder with baking and binge-watching shows on Netflix.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 24, 2023
Now I usually love everything this author writes. But this one just did not work for me. I can see elements of her usual writing, but the characters did not pull me in the setting had potential, but just didn't really work. It was only saved from 2 stars, by the last 10-15% when it really started to pick up, But not enough to be awarded more than 3 stars.
March 21, 2025
Very easy read. Follows a female LEO who is sent to an area that is considered lawless for a trailer fire. Through investigation lots of twists and turns.
October 14, 2023
She's the law in a lawless society...In a commune in the middle of the Californian desert, a trailer is burning.
During the early hours of a hot summer morning, Detective Lawrey Winters is called to the discovery of the bodies of a young couple inside a charred trailer home.
This isn't the first time a trailer has been set on fire in the commune of Sandtown, but normally the owners aren't inside.
The locals are notoriously closed-lipped. They believe in protecting their own and the police aren’t welcome.
Except Lawrey has a connection to Sandtown—her son, a troubled addict—lives there, too.
The fire in the trailer stirs up more questions than answers. What happened to the young couple? Why did they make no attempt to escape?
Lawrey digs into their past and learns they were on the run. Was the person after them the same one who killed them?
As her investigation uncovers secrets the towns’ resident would never want the police to know, Lawrey is forced to face the truth.
Is there anyone she can trust?
This is a thrilling read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
During the early hours of a hot summer morning, Detective Lawrey Winters is called to the discovery of the bodies of a young couple inside a charred trailer home.
This isn't the first time a trailer has been set on fire in the commune of Sandtown, but normally the owners aren't inside.
The locals are notoriously closed-lipped. They believe in protecting their own and the police aren’t welcome.
Except Lawrey has a connection to Sandtown—her son, a troubled addict—lives there, too.
The fire in the trailer stirs up more questions than answers. What happened to the young couple? Why did they make no attempt to escape?
Lawrey digs into their past and learns they were on the run. Was the person after them the same one who killed them?
As her investigation uncovers secrets the towns’ resident would never want the police to know, Lawrey is forced to face the truth.
Is there anyone she can trust?
This is a thrilling read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
September 24, 2023
Book: The Scorched Girls (Law of Sandtown Book 1)
Author: M K Farrar
My Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by: Tammy - Book Nook Nuts
REVIEW
Brand new series by this author and wow it's a good first book in it.
I love this author's creepy stories and this one doesn't disappoint.
Detective Winters has her hands full with something that is happening out in the desert which many now call home. Rejects who chose to live away from civilization. But fires happen, people die, and they know something and this detective is determined to find out.
She also has the issue of ... one of her own lives in that hot-as-heck desert city too.
But who can she trust? Because your brain will say it's this person through most of the book until boom it's not what you thought at all. Gripping!
I can not wait to see where this series goes.
Author: M K Farrar
My Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by: Tammy - Book Nook Nuts
REVIEW
Brand new series by this author and wow it's a good first book in it.
I love this author's creepy stories and this one doesn't disappoint.
Detective Winters has her hands full with something that is happening out in the desert which many now call home. Rejects who chose to live away from civilization. But fires happen, people die, and they know something and this detective is determined to find out.
She also has the issue of ... one of her own lives in that hot-as-heck desert city too.
But who can she trust? Because your brain will say it's this person through most of the book until boom it's not what you thought at all. Gripping!
I can not wait to see where this series goes.
March 2, 2024
An exciting debut
A fantastic debut introducing Detective Lawrey Winters. Atmospheric, a dry arid and dusty desert with roaring temperatures in the blazing and formidable heat. Winters are her partner Abel, both likable characters are investigating the fire of a RV where two young people die. ( you can feel the heat now can't you) Accident or deliberate? Sandtown is a strange little town and the inhabitants even stranger and getting information from the tight lipped community is proving difficult. The images this story conjures up are horrific and the fear seems very real. A dark and disturbing storyline set at a good pace. I breathlessly raced to the end as the momentum intensified.....faster, faster before it's too late! Thrilling. Great storytelling.
A fantastic debut introducing Detective Lawrey Winters. Atmospheric, a dry arid and dusty desert with roaring temperatures in the blazing and formidable heat. Winters are her partner Abel, both likable characters are investigating the fire of a RV where two young people die. ( you can feel the heat now can't you) Accident or deliberate? Sandtown is a strange little town and the inhabitants even stranger and getting information from the tight lipped community is proving difficult. The images this story conjures up are horrific and the fear seems very real. A dark and disturbing storyline set at a good pace. I breathlessly raced to the end as the momentum intensified.....faster, faster before it's too late! Thrilling. Great storytelling.
October 12, 2023
Lawrey has self-esteem issues as she feels abandoned and unlikeable, she has difficulty maintaining personal relationships and has a past that humiliates and annoys her. She is relentless in her job and what seemed to be an arson case turns out to be two homicides that are linked to several other murders in other states. The Scorched Girls has a good storyline, and is well-written, with a good balance between emotional issues and action.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 17, 2025
I liked the plot & and storyline of this detective novel. I think it was a great who done it with I feel like a character twist. When she describes the desert, you really feel the heat of her story. The ending wasn't my favorite, but that could also be b/c it's part of a series. Unsure if the other book picks up where it left off, but I feel like I wanted more, but I guess there wouldn't be 2 more books if I had closure...lol There are some hard topics like Death, loss, Substance abuse, r+pe, so please read with caution. Great read though.
October 10, 2023
The Scorched Girls is book one and a great start to the Laws of Sandtown series. M.K. Farrar writes some of the best crime thrillers and The Scorched Girls is a great one. From the page turning story and the desert location to the intriguing mystery that needed to be solved this is a great start to the Laws of Sandtown series. I look forward to reading the next book in this series. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
October 18, 2023
hard hitting - excellent.
I don’t read many books set in the US. But having read this author’s UK based books, I decided to give it a go.
And I’m very glad that I did.
We find how fragile the line between the good and despair is. The division between a life of good and despair has never been starker.
The writing is excellent. I’m looking forward to book 2 already, which I have pre ordered.
I don’t read many books set in the US. But having read this author’s UK based books, I decided to give it a go.
And I’m very glad that I did.
We find how fragile the line between the good and despair is. The division between a life of good and despair has never been starker.
The writing is excellent. I’m looking forward to book 2 already, which I have pre ordered.
October 4, 2023
This was such a unique location and had so many different characters I cannot wait to see how this series develops. I so enjoyed it and it worked at so many levels.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 23, 2025
A pretty good story well told with interesting characters.
The story was a litt!e strange in that the women that were killed were all burned terribly but were always killed after they were raped and for here's XO they couldn't be recognized.
The story was a litt!e strange in that the women that were killed were all burned terribly but were always killed after they were raped and for here's XO they couldn't be recognized.
March 3, 2024
Great book
I loved this book.Hard to put down.will recommend the book to others. Can't wait for book 2.page turner of suspense
I loved this book.Hard to put down.will recommend the book to others. Can't wait for book 2.page turner of suspense
March 3, 2024
Good thriller
I liked this book after the first page. Nice thriller that kept you guessing until the end. Read it in a day!
I liked this book after the first page. Nice thriller that kept you guessing until the end. Read it in a day!
May 5, 2024
Very intriguing book. My first book by MK Farrar but hopefully not my last. Held my interest from first page to the last. Definitely recommend it!
September 24, 2024
this was goof i knew who the helper was but i missed the main bad guy i was shocked.
March 31, 2025
Good story with a few twists and turns that kept me up late. Looking forward to the next in the series.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews