About the Book:
Thomas Austin was once a star NYPD detective, known for locking up a psychopathic serial killer: The Holiday Baby Butcher. Now retired in a small beach town, Austin runs a little café, trying to overcome the loss of his wife, a district attorney who was gunned down only one year ago.
But when a mysterious bag of bones appears on a nearby beach, Austin is dragged back into law enforcement for one last job. The Holiday Baby Butcher is behind bars, so it has to be a copycat. But with each new clue, the killer seems closer and closer to the real thing.
Now Austin must overcome the darkness of his past to chase a killer as twisted as any America has ever seen. And when Austin finally learns the truth, it's a twist so shocking it shakes him to his core, and threatens his life.
My Review:
This is the first novel I have read by Black. I liked it. Besides being a good police procedure investigation, it has a good personal story of a retired NY City detective now settled in the PNW. For me, a PNW native, I liked his good descriptions of the area, including beaches and mountains.
There are some interesting issues Black explores in this novel. One is the debate over nature or nurture as to what makes a person a criminal. There is a twist at the end that made the debate even more interesting. Another issue revolved around the encouragement to appreciate those we love before it is too late and they are gone.
This is a good mystery taking place in a most beautiful part of the world. Black provides a good balance between character information and plot development. Potential readers should be aware that the murders involve new born babies, a potential trigger situation.
My rating: 4/5 stars.
About the Author:
(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)
No comments:
Post a Comment