Detective Anjelica Henley confronts a series of ritualistic murders in this heart-pounding thriller about race, power and the corrupt institutions that threaten us
When Detective Anjelica Henley is called to investigate the murder of a popular preacher in his own church, she discovers a second victim, tortured and tied to a bed in an upstairs room. He is alive, but barely, and his body shows signs of a dark religious ritual.
With a revolving list of suspects and the media spotlight firmly on her, Henley is left with more questions than answers as she attempts to untangle both crimes. But when another body appears, the case takes on a new urgency. Unless she can apprehend the killer, the next victim may just be Henley herself.
Both fans of The Jigsaw Man and readers coming to Matheson’s work for the first time will get swept away in this heart-pounding thriller. Drawing on her experiences as a criminal attorney, Nadine Matheson deftly explores issues of race, class and justice through an action-packed story that will hold you captive until the last terrifying page.
Listen to an extract here
My thoughts: this book goes to some dark places – it seems to be Henley’s lot in life. Extreme religious beliefs, secrets, embezzlement, lies and murders. Vulnerable people, often with mental health issues are disappearing and later turning up dead, looking like they’ve been tortured. What is the connection to the dead preacher? And can Henley and team stop it before anyone else loses their life?
I really liked the previous book in this series – The Jigsaw Man, and I think Henley is a really interesting protagonist. She’s clever and good at what she does but keeps a lot of things close to her chest, and isn’t always as open, even with her closest colleagues, as she could be. These crimes are in her community, and she wants to keep people safe but when all she gets is lies and obfuscation from those involved, it’s not easy.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 