Eight stars
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Marcy McCreary, CamCat Books, and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Members’ Audiobooks for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
New to the world of Marcy McCreary, I became curious when this ARC landed in my lap and I devoured the series debut. McCreary has a great way of telling a story, using past and present segments to stitch things together into a tight package. When Detective Susan Ford notices a missed call on her cell, she is curious, but thinks nothing of it. It is only when she is called to the scene of a discovered body the next day that things get eerie. It is the same Madison Garcia who called her the night before. Now, with a case looming over her, Detective Ford will have to pull on all her options to solve the case and learn just what happened to Madison, as well as who might have wanted her dead. Marcy McCreary does well with this piece and kept me hooked until the final page turn.
Sick with a summer cold, Detective Susan Ford is soaking in the tub when she notices a missed call on her cell phone from an unknown Madison Garcia. Thinking nothing of it, she heads to bed and tries to sleep it off. It is only when she is called to the scene of a discovered body in a car the following morning that the name Madison Garcia appears again. This eerie discovery only spurs Detective Ford along to get neck-deep into the case.
Wanting to use the sharp brain of her father, Will Ford, Susan tries to get his insightfulness to solve the case. Will is a former homicide detective and has a knack for seeing things that others miss. The Fords soon begin to peel back the Madison Garcia story and discover many secrets that she had wanted to keep hidden. This includes suspected money laundering, which has a separate group of detectives poking around their own case. As Detective Ford makes the connections, the Garcia case takes on some larger importance and there are more who might have wanted her silenced. All these secrets coming to the surface had made some angry, and with Will’s connection to the family, albeit loosely, pressure is increased.
Discovering a journal discarded at the scene, there is evidence that Madison planned to reveal a deep secret to the world, but was killed before she could do so. Now, with a long list of possible killers, the Fords will have to find the one to blame, before others are silenced as well. McCreary keeps the intensity high with this strong piece of writing
Marcy McCreary impressed me once again with this piece. Juggling two timeframes, the story evolves and develops in great ways, leaving the reader with a few breadcrumbs as the murder investigation gains momentum. McCreary’s writing style keeps the story sharp as the narrative gains momentum and provides key revelations. The story never loses its quick development and there is no lack of possible pathways that things might take, offering up great options for solving the case. Characters provide a great means of getting to know more about the case and those who might be involved. Susan and Will Ford are key to the story, using some of their past experiences to bridge the previous novel to this one.
The ongoing development of plot points provide a great deal of intrigue. There is the central Madison Garcia murder that must be solved, but the backstories of the victim, as well as some of the potential suspects keeps the strong on point an full of twists. There is a need for these to keep tensions high and the unpredictability a key point throughout the reading experience. As Susan Ford shows her mettle, she exemplifies just how keen she is to solve the case and work her position effectively. I am eager to see that Marcy McCreary has yet another book to be published, as this is a great series and I need more to whet my appetite.
Kudos, Madam McCreary, for this gripping story that balances past and present effectively.
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