From the NYT bestselling author comes a chilling new thriller about a ritualistic murder of a college professor that sends a small town cop back into the trauma she thought she’d put behind her.
Officer Miranda Rader of the Hammond PD in Louisiana is known for her honesty, integrity, and steady hand in a crisis—but that wasn’t always so. Miranda comes from Jasper, just south of Hammond, a place about the size of a good spit on a hot day, and her side of the tracks was the wrong one. She’s worked hard to leave the girl she used to be behind and earn respect in her position as an officer.
However, when Miranda and her partner are called to investigate the murder of one of the town’s most beloved college professors, they’re unprepared for the gruesomeness of the scene. This murder is unlike any they’ve ever investigated, and just when Miranda thinks she’s seen the worst of it, she finds a piece of evidence that chills her to the core: a faded newspaper clipping about a terrible night from her long-buried past. Then another man turns up dead, this one a retired cop, and not just any cop—Clint Wheeler, the cop who took her statement that night. Two murders, two very different men, two killings that on the surface had nothing in common—except Miranda. 15 years ago.
And when her fingerprints turn up at the scene of the first murder, Miranda once again finds herself under the microscope, her honesty and integrity doubted, her motivations questioned. Alone again, the trust of her colleagues shattered, Miranda must try to trust the instincts she’s pushed down for so long, and decide what’s right—before it’s too late.
While this dealt with the important topic of sexual assault and was a quick read, there was nothing in this that really stood out to me from other thrillers.
Unlike with other bokos, this one didn't have me on my toes and I was always kind of sure that everything would work out. I mean, 95% of books have everything work out, but normally I'm not entirely sure. Because of that, I never really felt nervous or tense or anxious about how the book would end.
This might be because I never really felt connected to Miranda. Sure, she has a tragedy in her backstory and a stubborn personality, but I couldn't quite bring myself to really care about her. The subplot of romance was more a subplot of sex and not something I entirely appreciated, perhaps because I felt like she was settling.
I did very much appreciate the statement that the book made about sexual assault and how commonly it goes unreported. Power and influence in the hands of a perpetrator create a serious problem, and this book is not afraid to examine these subjects. This is the biggest strength to the story.
This book is worth your time if you're looking for a decent book to fill some time, but it's not one I'll be raving about.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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