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

Every morning, as her husband Mike straps on his SIG Sauer and pulls on his heavy Magnum boots, Jamie Anderson tenses up. Then comes the call she has always dreaded: There’s been a shooting at police headquarters. Mike isn’t hurt, but his long-time partner is grievously injured. As weeks pass and her husband’s insomnia and disconnectedness mount, Jamie realizes he is an invisible casualty of the attack. Then the phone rings again. Another shooting—but this time Mike has pulled the trigger.
But the shooting does more than just alter Jamie’s world. It’s about to change everything for two other women. Christie Simmons, Mike’s flamboyant ex, sees the tragedy as an opportunity for a second chance with Mike. And Jamie’s younger sister, Lou, must face her own losses to help the big sister who raised her. As the press descends and public cries of police brutality swell, Jamie tries desperately to hold together her family, no matter what it takes.

Every now and then I like to try something a little outside my comfort zone. A little while ago, I discovered a few short stories of hers that I quite enjoyed. So I thought I would give a full length novel a try.

And this book started out quite promisingly - the shooting that takes place at Mike's work and the after effects of that, including the next shooting where Mike himself is the one who has pulled the trigger. That gave us a really good idea of where Mike is at, and how these events immediately shake his family.

But then, it never really went anywhere after that. A little bit of hang-wringing, lots of drama and a very unsatisfying finale.

However, the writing itself is fantastic. The ebbs and flows created by the author are wonderful (as far as that goes) and gives some real substance to the characters and the situations they find themselves in. Christie plays that up perfectly and I think she was about the only character in the book that I really liked. The rest were a bit bland and one-dimensional for me.

All in all, what could very well have been a cracking novel just ended up being okay...


Paul
ARH

Jamie’s husband Mike – a police officer – survived a fatal shooting which claimed a rookie cop and seriously injured his long-time partner. He returns to duty but is constantly on edge. Then Mike is involved in another shooting but this time he pulled the trigger. And the victim was a teen boy.
The story is told from the viewpoint of three characters - Jamie as she struggles to cope as the media descend and her relationship falters; her sister Lou, an elephant handler who helps out with the kids; and Christie, Mike’s ex who has just started working for a private investigator. I enjoyed the ripped-from-the-headlines aspect of this story, seeing the issue of police shootings from the angle of police family members. A solid read.