Rating: Good
Source: Publisher
Description: Doctor Rowan Dupont knows a serial killer is coming for her. Julian Addington has been waiting. Watching. And it’s only a matter of time before he strikes. But what Julian doesn’t know is that Rowan is ready for him. And more than anything she wants answers. How well did the depraved killer actually know her mother? And how many lies have been spun in the years since she took her own life?
Working alongside her childhood friend Police Chief Billy Brannigan, Rowan is determined to get to the bottom of her mother’s puzzling suicide once and for all—even if it means exposing an unsettling past. It certainly seems like her family’s Victorian funeral home has borne witness to more than one dark secret, but when a recent double homicide leads to an even grislier discovery, separating the truth from the lies might be the last thing Rowan does.
Genre: Mystery - Thriller
Why I Picked This Book: I haven't read a darker mystery in awhile and I liked that this one involved family secrets.
My Impression: So I wanted darker and this one definitely delivered the darker! There are serial killers galore and family secrets on top of family secrets. And these aren't happy little secrets or even sad family secrets these are some seriously disturbing secrets. Rowan is an interesting character with a background in law enforcement, psychology and all the skills learned from growing up/inheriting a funeral parlor. Not only is her professional career varied and a bit dark but her family story provides for a whole boatload of baggage for her to carry around. Her friendship with local cop Billy and her coworker Charlotte as well as her relationship with her dog Freud humanized her quite a bit which was very much needed.
The mystery is a wild one. Just what secrets was her mother hiding and how does it connect to Rowan's former mentor and recently discovered serial killer Julian Addington? But there's a lot more to it then that. Rowan's mother was a complicated woman and Rowan is just beginning to discover how complicated. The events in the book are tied to the events in the previous book. I did see some reviews that mentioned being a bit confused. I, however, didn't have an issue with that. I felt like there was enough backstory given that I had no problem understanding what was going on. My issue with the book is that at times there's a certain repetitiveness to Rowan's internal thoughts and we get a LOT of her internal thoughts. I mean granted her childhood was horrific and her adulthood wasn't much better but I didn't feel like I needed to be in her head quite as much as I was. As well I had a hard time believing Rowan was as accomplished as she supposedly was. At times she seems weak or makes spectacularly bad decisions and it didn't go along with what her background was supposed to be. Despite all this the pacing was good and it was an entertaining if disturbing read!
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I would though I don't think this author is an auto-buy quite yet.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you like darker mysteries with a sprinkling of creepy serial killers this is a good choice!
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
This doesn't sound bad, but it annoys me when I feel a character doesn't act in character. Great review!
ReplyDeleteLove the name of the dog, bit of humor there! No I don't want darker and it sounds like Rowan has had a traumatic background.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a decent time with the book. Hopefully you'll continue to like the author's work in the future.
ReplyDeleteOooh! I'm definitely going to have to check this out! I like the sound of the dark mystery!!
ReplyDeleteDespite it's problems, it's appealing. I may see if my library has it.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Some of those issues you had with it would probably bother me too. It sounds like it has some good things going for it as well though. I'm on the fence about this one. . .
ReplyDelete