Thrill Kill

Matt Sinclair and his partner Cathy Braddock are called to a park to investigate a naked woman hanging in a tree. So happens that Matt knows the woman. Dawn Gustafson was a call girl that Matt first met when he was working vice and she was newly arrived from Minnesota. They met each other occasionally over the years.

Matt and Cathy's investigation takes them into the world of elite escort services and the sorts of men who make use of them. Since many of the men are rich, in politics, or other sensitive businesses, Matt's superiors want him to investigate discretely. Add in the FBI who has some interest in the case and you get all sorts of political and jurisdictional complications.

Matt is a dogged investigator who is also dealing with his own alcoholism and PTSD. He is secretly seeing a therapist to deal with the PTSD. Thus far they have discovered that he has lots of unresolved issues from his childhood and military service that all seem to stem from him not being able to save everyone. This case seems to be fitting into that pattern too.

The FBI gets sidetracked by some leads that seem to indicate some domestic terrorism but Matt is keeping a clear focus on the murders. I will say that I had a pretty good idea of who the killer was by about the middle of the book. That didn't change my enjoyment of the story or relieve much of the tension I was feeling.

This book was filled with action. From murders, to bombs, to school shootings, the action seemed nonstop. Fans of fast-paced police procedurals won't want to miss this one.