Review limited to Goodreads

3 Stars

I must say that my first impression of the start to this series is that it was "ok". While I didn't find it horrible, it wasn't a book/series that captured me to continue with it. I didn't develop as strong enough of an attraction to the main protagonist as someone I would seek out to continue his next path, etc. It had a very "dime a dozen" feel to it and there are other series out there that have grasped my attention immediately.

A decent read. A little bit predictable. I liked the main character Liam and would probably read another book with him in it.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

In a small town along the Mississippi River, separate but nearly identical attacks have left two married couples brutally murdered in their homes. A young boy—the lone survivor of the killings—now lies comatose in the hospital. And the police’s only lead is the boy’s terrified description of the assailant: a “monster.”
Enter former homicide detective Liam Dempsey, whose estranged brother fell victim to the killer. Dragged into the investigation as a suspect, Dempsey vows to solve the case and clear his name. But two things stand between him and the truth: a web of local politics, and the grim secrets the victims held close. All the while, a murderer with boundless hatred continues to raise the body count.
As the troubled ex-cop tries to pull justice from the town’s emotional wreckage, he realizes that his could be the next life lost to the killer’s ruthless, twisted plan for revenge.

This book was a little middle-of-the-road as an overall story (for me, at least) but certainly had some definite high spots.

The best thing for me was the location - a small town on the Mississippi River. You get the sense of being there, a sense of knowing everyone, a sense of wanting to be there. It was well described and an excellent setting for a mystery of this sort.

The other real benefit to this story was the pacing. At no stage was I ever feeling like the story was dragging - but, the opposite is also true. Some novels I have read of late seem to want every page to be a Hollywood blockbuster and that can get weary. Joe Hart has worked out what was needed for this story and stuck to it very well.

There are, of course, issues, in my opinion. The major one being that there was nothing particularly 'original' to this story. Once I got the feel for the story, I kinda figured what would happen - from the Keystone Cops cliche, to the rather predictable "this is how it happened" ending, it just lost some marks along the way.

Would I read another Joe Hart novel? Very likely. There was enough in this story for me to think a second one is definitely worth a shot.


Paul
ARH