what people are saying:

“True crime author Sands (Wealthy Men Only) makes an auspicious fiction debut with this crackling mystery centered on a Lisbeth Salanderesque savant… Sands nails the genius investigator formula on her first try, spinning Maggie into a memorable heroine and handing her an enthralling first case. This transfixes from the first page.”
–Publishers Weekly Starred Review

“True-crime author Sands’s (Baby-Faced Butchers) first crime novel is a gritty buddy-cop mystery that pairs two unlikely individuals… For readers who enjoy chilling mysteries and thrillers. Fans of strong character-building will delight in watching Maggie and Jackson’s partnership bring out their individual strengths.”
–Library Journal

“Tattooed and pierced, diagramming sentences from famous novels and movies as a coping mechanism, Maggie is a refreshingly original heroine with literary sensibilities, a potty mouth, and no patience for the patriarchy… [U]nusual investigation tactics—and a brash new protagonist—lend the book energy and interest, and Sands leaves the door open for a sequel. Grammar nerds rejoice!”
–Kirkus Reviews

“Maggie More is tattooed and pierced and drinks beer for breakfast, but she’s also a linguistic savant with a lightning-quick mind. In short, she’s a winning protagonist for a smart, original, and entirely entertaining mystery. If you love words, puzzles, or just a well-crafted story, you will love Wordhunter.”
–Alafair Burke, New York Times Bestselling Author of Find Me

“Stella Sands writes great characters into a truly intriguing mystery, brings Florida to life around them, and combines it all with the fascinating discipline of forensic linguistics… This was just a great, suspenseful thriller that drew me in and kept me truly guessing as to what would happen next. There’s definitely room left for sequels (though we do get a satisfying ending!), and I think this could prove to be a series with real legs. Move over, Lisbeth Salander; Maggie Moore and Florida’s muggy heat have an all-new story to tell.”
–Mystery & Suspense Magazine

“This is a dark and disturbing mystery but so unique, delving into the power of the words that people choose and the ways they use them, that mystery readers will be riveted to the page wanting to know how Maggie’s mind works.”
–Somerset County Library System of New Jersey

“Wordhunter shines as a psychological thriller based on an unusual yet incredibly compelling concept.”
–Novels Alive, 5 star Review