Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Jackson (With My Little Eye) sticks a difficult landing in this Georgia-set thriller about a grieving cop probing a series of bizarrely personal murders. Rookie detective Penny Albright is one of first officers on the scene of a fatal stabbing in an upscale suburban shopping village. When she sees the face of the deceased, she's stunned to recognize him as Danny Bowery, one of the men she blames for the death, five years earlier, of her twin sister, Nix. Penny quickly catches up with a woman drenched in blood near the scene who calls herself Thalia Grey. Though Penny is all but certain Thalia killed Danny, her cryptic comments about the situation ("This is not a story about a rookie who stumbles onto a killer and solves the case.... This is not a story about cops at all") convince Penny to let her escape. Xav Castillo, another one of the men involved in Nix's death, has also been murdered recently, leading Penny on a winding investigation into who might be avenging Nix's death, and why. Though the wild setup requires some suspension of disbelief, Jackson rewards readers willing to go along for the ride with a whip-smart, consistently surprising procedural. It's a job well done. Agent: Caryn Karmatz Rudy, DeFiore & Co. (Mar.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Jackson (With My Little Eye) tells the story of Penny and Nix Albright, who are as close as only twins can be--until Nix becomes addicted to drugs after being raped in college. When Nix dies from an overdose, Penny is wracked by guilt and dreams of revenge. Five years later, she finds meaning as a rookie police officer. When she gets called to her first murder scene, Penny is stunned to realize the victim is one of her sister's rapists. She also finds a woman covered in blood, holding a box cutter, who tells Penny that this murder is part of a bigger story--a story of sisters. Then the woman disappears, leaving Penny with the murder weapon. Penny faces an impossible choice: follow the law or pursue a twisted form of justice reflecting her desire for revenge. Jackson's distinctive voice and signature flawed characters make this novel a sure bet, with a fast pace and plenty of twists to hook readers from page one. VERDICT Stock multiple copies; this book will fly off the shelves. Perfect for fans of Jackson's previous work and anyone who loves psychological thrillers full of heart-pounding suspense.--Terri Lent
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
When people who inflict violence get away with it, does murder become justice--and justified? Penny Albright is just a few shifts away from completing her training as a cop in Kennesaw, Georgia, when she pulls her first murder scene. She's shocked to realize she knows the victim: Danny Bowery, one of three men who raped her twin sister, Nix, several years ago, sending her into a spiral that ended in her eventual death by overdose. In a nearby alley, Penny finds a woman covered in blood. Penny doesn't arrest the woman, Thalia Gray, even though Penny knows Thalia is "a stone-cold killer"; she confiscates Thalia's knife and lets her get away. Hiding the weapon, and now complicit, Penny can't stop thinking about Thalia even as her own family drama clamors for attention. Penny's teenage niece, Shadow, has been suspended from school for hacking, and her wandering influencer brother, Shadow's father, Gand, arrives in his converted school bus--but for how long? Then Nix's ex-boyfriend, Michael Sullivan, reaches out, having heard about the murder. Penny knows the man Thalia murdered was not the first of Nix's attackers to die; Xav Castillo was killed right around the second anniversary of Nix's death. Did Thalia know Nix? Is she on a revenge tour for Penny's sister--or does Thalia have a sister story of her own? Is the third attacker now in danger? Caught up in fear and admiration for Thalia, Penny is willing to sacrifice her budding career to find out the truth about this woman and perhaps even help her. For Penny, "life [is] made almost entirely out of stories about sisters," and this is indeed a sister story--about how far into the flames they will walk for one another and about how this love burns fiercely, even after death. Jackson's mystery is tight and breathless, but it's the characters who shine, especially smart, loyal, wounded Penny, but also her cast of supporting family members, her tough but fair mentor, and steel-eyed Thalia. A finely wrought, character-driven thriller with a propulsive and satisfying climax. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
