I enjoyed Smoky’s crew of agents and their problems relating to each other as well as their various secrets that spilled out. But some of them brought me as much to the edge of despair as Smoky’s own losses.
The book wastes no time in establishing another loss that Smoky goes through. Her best friend from high school gets murdered, and the man that killed her soon makes that death more personal than ever for Smoky.
According to the serial killer’s own testimony, he’s a descendant of Jack the Ripper. As such, he has to seek out a law enforcement person who will force him to sharpen his deadly skills even further. He has selected Smoky and her crew, and the timing couldn’t be worse as she tries to find her balance after losing her family.
The novel turns into a cat-and-mouse chase. The killer builds a lot of tension into Smoky’s investigation by doing things to each of the team members that makes them more vulnerable than ever. Some of those extremes bothered me, especially the bits about the dead sister and the dog.
I finished the book, though I didn’t know if I was going to be able to. Things got a lot worse for Smoky before they got better.
McFayden has written two more Smoky Barrett novels and I think I’ll pick them up. Her character is strong and compelling, and the killers she chases are top-notch. But I’m going to make sure I read them when I’m emotionally at my best and can distance myself from the violence.
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