A killer running rings around the police. A detective spiralling out of control.
DI Kate Young is on leave. She’s the force’s best detective, but her bosses know she’s under pressure, on medication and overcoming trauma. So after her bad judgement call leads to a narrowly averted public disaster, they’re sure all she needs is a rest.
But when Staffordshire Police summon her back to work on a murder case, it’s a harder, more suspicious Kate Young who returns. With a new ruthlessness, she sets about tracking down a clinical, calculating serial killer who is torturing victims and leaving clues to taunt the police.
Spurred on by her reporter husband, Young begins to suspect that the murderer might be closer than she ever imagined.As she works to uncover the truth, Young unravels a network of secrets and lies, with even those closest to her having something to hide.
But with her own competence—and her grip on reality—called into question, can she unmask the killer before they strike again?
Out February 4th 2021 but available to pre order now
This book had me running the gamut of emotions. I wasn’t sure who to trust at any given time, my loyalties to individual characters switched, and I was left feeling disturbed. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The author did an admirable job of creating sympathy for Eleanor in the beginning. She had been beaten down by life (literally and physically), and she was losing the one person she could rely on…until she couldn’t anymore. I related to her early on, because her feelings about her father brought back memories of my dad’s illness. I could feel her pain.
I was fortunate, however, to not have a vile mother like Sylvia. It was easy to see why Eleanor was as insecure as she was. Both her mother and sister, Amy, were horrible people in general and specifically to Eleanor.
Eleanor finds out a secret that she isn’t meant to know, and at that point, I thought the book took an odd turn. I understand the point that desperate people can be led to do desperate things, but it felt a little off. I’m not sure why, but because Eleanor got a little dark, I felt less sympathy for her.
I don’t want to give away the rest of the book, because it all flowed well after that, and I found myself going back and forth between disliking Eleanor for her duplicity and feeling sorry for her because she obviously had severe issues that compelled her decisions.
I also don’t want to give away anything, because there are a few twists that I did not see coming. There were also a few I thought would happen and didn’t. I like it when an author can balance the tension like that. I did think that the middle was drawn out, and then an awful lot happened in the last quarter of the book. Some of it was even just described instead of actually occurring within the plot. There were some surprises, but I think I would have enjoyed the action of them instead of a description. (hope that makes sense).
In the end, I was left feeling…I’m not sure of the word? Empty, maybe. A little angry or disappointed that people can be so evil to each other? Psychopathy is real, and it is certainly exhibited in spades in this book. Human nature can be the most harmful of all forces.
Kudos to the author for creating memorable characters that left me feeling disturbed and unsettled. And very glad that I don’t have a sister (to my knowledge).
AUTHOR BIO
Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland and moved to Canada in 2010. After a successful career in recruitment, she quit the corporate world in favor of writing, and is now the author of The Neighbors and Her Secret Son. She lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her husband and three sons, and is delighted by her twenty-second commute.
In my review of What He Did, the second book in the Detective Rachel Hart series, I said, “The subplot of Rachel’s personal life fit into the plot neatly, which isn’t always the case. Although, I do think that there is more to be revealed in future books if the ending is any clue.” I didn’t know the half of it!
The book starts with a perfectly normal, albeit sad, investigation, and it doesn’t take long before Rachel and her coworkers are chasing down clues trying to find a murderer. The investigation is well-plotted and takes turns that are to be expected (i.e., suspects of interest). The author did a good job of making some of the characters’ motivations questionable so it wasn’t easy to figure who was telling the truth and who had something to hide.
As with the last book, Rachel’s personal life is intertwined with this case. In fact, it seemed like there was almost more focus on Rachel’s state of mind concerning her sister, which led to some scenes that seemed unprofessional and out of character for Rachel. I suppose they were necessary, given how it all turned out, though.
I did like how she seemed to be mentoring the younger members of her unit, reminding them not to assume things and coaching them on how to react to the behaviors of others. It’s all advice she could have taken herself as well. I also liked how Graham stepped up and took control. I hope to see more of that as Rachel sorts herself out.
And boy, does she have to do that. Even though everything seemed relatively routine, about ¾ of the way through, it all just kicks off. The last part of the book just flew by with revelations, confessions, and reveals that left my jaw on the floor. It took a turn and went gonzo (but in a really good way).
I’m not saying any more than that; you’ll have to read it for yourself. You really should check out this series while it’s still near the beginning. At this point, it is better to read the previous books so you have the full backstory. I think that’s going to be necessary going forward.
Oh, and (by the way), the title is awesome, because the answer is not exactly straightforward 😉
Author Bio: Having signed with Bookouture in late 2018, my first book with them, Little Girl Missing, was published in June 2019 followed by the second in the Detective Rachel Hart series in October of the same year. The third book in the series, my seventh novel overall, is called Why She Died and is on pre-order prior to publication in May 2020.
I’m originally from Nottingham, where I have based a couple of my novels, but I am now resident in Berkshire and have used Reading and the surrounding area as the location for the DCI Rachel Hart series. From the age of ten I had wanted to write fiction but left it until I was fifty-seven before self-publishing my first novel, Life’s a Beach and Then, proving it’s never too late to start something new.
When I’m not writing, I am a full-time presenter on QVC, the UK’s most successful shopping channel where I have worked for over twenty-six years. I also enjoy cooking, watching football, in particular my team Crystal Palace, gardening, and Pilates which is helping with my rehabilitation following recent ankle surgery. I’m an animal lover and a committed vegetarian for the past thirty-five years.
