Death Notice is Todd Ritter's debut mystery. If the way people are being killed doesn't make you turn on the lights, then you're a lot less squeamish than I am. I couldn't have written this 'cause I would have scared myself silly. Death Notice starts off with the killing of Winnick, then ratchets up the intensity by giving you just enough time between victims to catch your breath. 
 You get to know the people in the town and come to like Sheriff Campbell's commitment to stopping the murderer. Your heart will race when the killer decides to make the chase personal for her. You'll also be trying to figure out who in this small town could be the killer. 
 And, if you're like me, you won't forget Death Notice, no matter how you try. Todd Ritter puts you right into the victim's head. Even if you've never met the victim before, you really want the good guys to get there and stop it. But you won't stop reading because you want to know who the killer is. It makes your heart race and if it had been a movie, I would have covered my eyes through the scary parts. 
 I give Death Notice a rating of Hel-of-a-Story