When I first read the premise of this novel, I was immediately hooked. I love serial killer books and this one seemed especially promising since the killer was so blatant about his actions. I also liked the character of the intrepid young DI who was responsible for catching him with her supportive partner. Unfortunately, this book let me down in a lot of ways.
Generally, DI Grace Archer was a great character. She's a bit standoffish, but she's good at her job, dedicated to solving the case, and all her relationships with her peers and the ones in her personal life were written very authentically. My problem was that she came from a tragic backstory that was hinted at, but never expanded. I understand this might be information that will be revealed in future novels, but it was very frustrating to have so many unanswered questions.
My second major problem with this novel was with the plot. I guessed who the killer was as soon as he was introduced, and I could even guess what the red herrings were going to be and how they would be thrown in throughout the novel. A lot of it was just so expected and there was nothing unique about the book. The killer also ended up being really disappointing because you never felt any connection to the victims.
Perhaps future novels in this series will solve these problems, but overall, I found myself quite disappointed.
Generally, DI Grace Archer was a great character. She's a bit standoffish, but she's good at her job, dedicated to solving the case, and all her relationships with her peers and the ones in her personal life were written very authentically. My problem was that she came from a tragic backstory that was hinted at, but never expanded. I understand this might be information that will be revealed in future novels, but it was very frustrating to have so many unanswered questions.
My second major problem with this novel was with the plot. I guessed who the killer was as soon as he was introduced, and I could even guess what the red herrings were going to be and how they would be thrown in throughout the novel. A lot of it was just so expected and there was nothing unique about the book. The killer also ended up being really disappointing because you never felt any connection to the victims.
Perhaps future novels in this series will solve these problems, but overall, I found myself quite disappointed.