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courtneyfalling's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was surprisingly gripping, given I don't normally read mysteries, let alone police procedurals! I picked it up because I was born and raised in Buffalo and got a recommendation from a friend's mom who knows Lissa Marie Redmond, but I actually ended up hooked into the story. Lauren is a somewhat unlikeable main character (for me personally, but I think this will differ—I found the framing of her backstory and interior voice somewhat cliche, and she relies on hyper-independence and stubbornness as a trauma response but bills it as girlboss), but the descriptions of the quirks and faults of the people around her are spot-on. There's just a bit of police criticism peppered in, more than I expected left to readers' interpretation from a former cop who takes care to thank her former colleagues in the acknowledgements (and yeah, less than I would've wanted or at a few points clumsy, which is probably the biggest thing alongside the framing of Lauren's backstory that's holding this at 4 stars, but it's still a solid enough read for 4 stars). I 100% plan to continue this series, probably soon with that intense cliffhanger!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Police brutality
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