Rating: Very Good
Source: Publisher
Description: They know exactly when he'll strike... They just have to find him first.
In all their years working for the Baywood police department, detectives A.L. McKittridge and Rena Morgan have never seen anything like it. Four women dead in forty days, each killed ten days apart. With nothing connecting the victims and very little evidence, the clock is already counting down to when the next body drops. A.L. and Rena will have to act fast if they're going to find the killer's next victim before he does.
But identifying the killer's next likely target is only half the battle. With pressure pushing in from all sides, a promising breakthrough leads the detectives to Tess Lyons, a woman whose past trauma has left her too damaged to appreciate the danger she's in. Unwilling to let another woman die, A.L. and Rena will put everything on the line to keep Tess safe and end the killer's deadly spree once and for all--before time runs out again.
Genre: Mystery - Procedural
Why I Picked This Book: It's been awhile since I read a serial killer book and the blurb interested me.
My Impression: So I almost DNF'd this book before I hit the 10th page. The writing felt a little too stiff and almost cliche - especially when the main character referenced his ongoing fling with the gorgeous medical examiner. But once that first chapter was done everything shifted. It was like the author relaxed or got traction and the book stopped feeling like a cliche of a procedural and the pages started flying for me.
A lot of time characters in police procedural type mysteries are incredibly dysfunctional. Like bottle of bourbon in the desk drawer, haven't had a relationship that lasted for longer then a day in 20 years, are barely keeping a job level insubordinate dysfunctional with a hefty helping of self sabotage. And while Rena and A.L. both have their troubles I found both of their characters fairly relatable and realistic. Rena is struggling with infertility and the effects it has had on her marriage. A.L. is dealing with the challenges of co-parenting with his ex and just having a 16 year old daughter in general. They're both dealing with a change in leadership from a trusted long term police chief to a new guy who is far more interested in image and politics then in actual police work. All of this never overshadowed the investigation but it did make me feel connected to the characters.
As for the mystery - well that kept me turning the pages! We start the book just as the 4th victim is found and just about nothing is known about how the victims are chosen or who the killer could be. I really enjoyed the investigation and the dead ends and the search for Tess. This wasn't a hold your breath in suspense type read but it was definitely one where one chapter became 5 and I just didn't want to put it down. I'm glad I got past page 10 because the remaining 99% of the book were so much creepy fun!
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! This is a series that I'll definitely be keeping a lookout for.
Would I Recommend this Book? Absolutely! This was a solid mystery with interesting characters.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
This sounds really good except for those first 10 pages. I like that the characters seem realistic and I always like a good mystery.
ReplyDeleteDelighted your patience paid off and that you ended up thoroughly enjoying this one, Katherine:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up, if I feel like it's not going well I will remember to keep going! I need to get to this one soon!
ReplyDeleteGlad this worked out well, especially since it was almost a DNF! I tend to like thrillers more than procedurals, generally speaking, when it comes to crime or mysteries but this one sounds really good. Definitely gonna add. :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes getting into a book does take time for a reader and maybe for an author too. Characters sound good and the main ones seem to be dealing with personal issues that anyone could be sorting out.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the dysfunctional characters. Frankly, I sometimes find it exhausting to read them. I'm glad this book didn't have those and that the book picked up after the beginning.
ReplyDeleteI never heard of this author but I certainly like a police procedural theme! I’ve been more brutal lately about abandoning a book if it doesn’t grab me though.
ReplyDeleteThere's no doubt I'd have DNFed it! You know what I'm like!
ReplyDeleteSometimes it pays to stick with a book! Happy to hear you ended up liking it. 🙌🙌🙌
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