Prairie Nightingale: Book 2
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
Suspicions that a serial killer is terrorizing a pristine tourist spot draw a single mom and budding private investigator into a twisting and deepening mystery of secrets and murder.
Single mom and newly minted private investigator Prairie Nightingale has opened the doors of her Green Bay, Wisconsin, agency and is ready for work. She and her crew aren’t quite prepared for their first client, though: Bernie Dubicki, a notorious online journalist and not-altogether-reliable provocateur, who claims the idyllic vacation destination of nearby Door County is home to a serial killer.
She’s pinpointed four seemingly unrelated deaths that haven’t raised suspicions for anyone else. But when a college student vanishes, Bernie’s sizable retainer convinces Prairie to help connect the dots. And trusted, flirty FBI agent Foster Rosemare thinks Bernie might be onto something. Prairie never expected her first investigation to be so big—like Dateline big—but she does have an inquiring mind and a knack for seeing things no one else can.
In this case she’ll have to look deep—not only into the secrets of strangers, but into Door County’s woods—to solve a mystery decades in the making.
A possible serial killer stalking a tourist area draws single mom and brand new private investigator, Prairie Nightingale, into an intriguing mystery full of secrets and murder in Trailbreaker by authors Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare.
When an online journalist comes to Prairie’s door claiming there’s a serial killer in nearby Door County. However, this “journalist” doesn’t have an altogether stellar reputation, but he does have deep pockets, so Prairie takes the case. Never expecting it to be so monumental.
Prairie is as unique as her name, and she is a relatable character. Although a lot is going on, it was not overwhelming. It was easy to keep up, and the flow remained uninterrupted.
I truly enjoyed the authors’ writing and felt it was nothing short of superb. The story was well thought out, and the plot was fast-paced. I was on the edge of my seat, not knowing what would happen next. I appreciated the characters, even the annoying ones. They were funny and realistic.
Trailbreaker is true to its title as a unique and stellar read for mystery readers.
Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare write critically acclaimed, bestselling mystery and romance, usually (but not always) together. They are the authors of the Prairie Nightingale mysteries and the TV Detectives mystery series. If you want more of their stories, check out their queer romances co-written as Mae Marvel, as well as solo work by Ruthie Knox (het romance), Annie Mare (grounded queer paranormal romance), and Robin York (Ruthie’s pen name for New Adult romance). Ruthie and Annie are married and live with two teenagers, two dogs, multiple fish, two glorious cats, four hermit crabs, and a bazillion plants in a very old house with a garden.
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Thanks for the review — so glad you enjoyed it!
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