April 10, 2020

With a chilling start that I knew was NOT going to end well, this book had me riveted from the very beginning.

I can’t describe how well the plot rolled out. It didn’t feel like anything was forced for the sake of the story. Instead, it felt like an actual investigation, with moments of extreme excitement, followed by periods of investigation. Those “down times” would lull me into the steadiness of fact-finding, and then there would be a break in the case. It was all realistic to how an investigation proceeds.

I really liked the main character, Shannon. She was kick-ass and good at her job but didn’t come across as the obnoxious female trying to make a name for herself. She just did good investigative work. I also appreciated that the author didn’t feel the need to give her a traumatic back story to make the reader feel overly sympathetic towards her (I’ve read a few books like that lately). Being able to follow her through the investigation was easy because there were no other hang-ups or distractions.

One of the things that I enjoyed most about this book was the setting. I read a lot of books set in various parts of the UK, and while I find the differences in their police work to be informative, I get excited (and a little wary) when I see one that takes place in the US.

(You may ask why I am wary of US policework? A husband who has 30+ years of LE – over 20 with NYPD. I’ve learned how to sniff out faulty facts and unrealistic investigative steps).

I’m happy to say that this book rang true to me from start to finish. Having lived in the city (most of the time in Queens), it was especially engaging to see areas and specific locations that were familiar (Kew Gardens and Ditmars-Steinway are particularly familiar to me). I also enjoyed Shannon’s memories of upstate NY, as we lived there for a number of years as well (but more in the central area).

I also think that the author did an admirable job of capturing the speech patterns of the residents of the area. In fact, pretty sure that I worked with the secretary/receptionist at the construction site and lived next door to the eyewitness to Monica’s abduction.

The plot itself was also intriguing and covered a lot of ground. It illustrated just how twisted an investigation can be and how pulling the right thread at the right time can make all of the difference. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more from the author.

About T.J. Brearton

T.J. Brearton’s books have reached half a million readers around the world and have topped the Amazon charts in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. A graduate of the New York Film Academy in Manhattan, Brearton first worked in film before focusing on novels. His books are visually descriptive with sharp dialog and underdog heroes. When not writing, Brearton does whatever his wife and three children tell him to do. They live happily in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate, New York. Yes, there are bears in the Adirondacks. But it’s really quite beautiful when you’re not running for your life.T.J. is the author of Dead Gone and many other crime thrillers. INTO DARKNESS will be his first novel published with Inkubator Books.