With a serial killer on the loose…
Secrets get you killed.
Detective Jake McAllister isn't aware Kyra Chase is
connected to a twenty-year-old unsolved murder. He sees his new case partner
only as an unwelcome distraction. But with the body count rising, they'll need
to trust each other to help them catch a killer who seems to know more about
Kyra than Jake does.
Good start to the new series. As the opener in a
four-book set, this story is more mystery than romance, but it works well. A
serial killer is loose in LA, and Jake is assigned as head of the task force
investigating it. One of the task force members is Kyra, a psychologist
specializing in victim advocacy. Jake doesn't like VAs after one used what she
learned from him to get a criminal a lighter sentence. He doesn't like Kyra being
there, but he'll deal with it.
Kyra isn't too happy about working with Jake, but she'll
do anything to be on this task force. The killer exhibits all the traits of a
copycat killer, aping the moves of the twenty-year-old cold case of The Player.
Kyra has a personal interest in this case because her mother was one of the
original killer's victims, not that she's told anyone about it.
Neither Kyra nor Jake trusts the other at the beginning
of the book. They danced around, each trying to protect themselves, until discovering
that they make a pretty good team. There are a couple of rough spots as secrets
come out, most notably when Jake connects Kyra to her mother and an issue with
her foster brother. Jake's growing protectiveness for Kyra surprises him, while
Kyra discovers unexpected depths to Jake. I enjoyed seeing them learn to trust
each other and the slow easing of the tension between them. There were only
faint hints of interest until the end and Jake's relief at arriving in time to
save Kyra. The epilogue was sweet with their moment in the sunset and the hope
for more.
The suspense of the story was great. The prologue opened
with the killer and his point of view, giving a glimpse of the disturbed mind
the task force had to deal with. The amount of legwork and detail the task
force had to handle fascinated me as they attempted to make connections between
the killer and his victims. I liked how Jake involved the detective from the
original case and the twist connected to Kyra. Kyra's work with the families
and friends of the victims had a significant impact on the investigation. Several
unexpected turns kept me guessing until the end. The final confrontation had me
on the edge of my seat until it was over. And just when you think it's safe, a
shocking phone call shows it isn't.
Though Jake and Kyra are the main focus, I also enjoyed
the secondary characters. The retired detective from the original case, Quinn,
was an interesting man. It was easy to see that the unsolved case of The Player
still haunted him and made him willing to help Jake with the current case. I
loved his connection with Kyra and the obvious affection they had for each
other. I hope we'll see more of him in the other books. I also liked Jake's
partner, Billy. He's quite a character with his fancy suits and big
personality. He's also quite a ladies' man, which is a little disturbing
because he's married, though separated (again). I had to laugh over his
interactions with both Jake and Kyra regarding her friend (and reporter) Megan.
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