C. M Thompson

What a gem this turned out to be! A really compelling read by a first-time author.
There's a serial killer in town targeting females and carving numbers into their hands. The story line follows the police investigation and describes vividly the effects these gruesome murders have on the entire community. It provides a fascinating look at human relationships in times of stress and anxiety, looking at partners, parents & children, neighbors, work colleagues. Told from multiple points of view, the reader is able to get right into the mind of the victims, the victims' relatives, the serial killer as well as the male and the female police detectives in charge of the investigation.
It took me a little while to get used to the style of writing. I found it quite unusual, really short and snappy. The plot is fast paced and very tense with some pretty disturbing and gritty scenes, but absolutely cleverly handled. All the characters felt very real and authentic. I've got to say when the serial killer was revealed in the penultimate chapter, I was somewhat confused and had to go back over earlier pages, but it all made sense, and although the ending was very abrupt, I really loved it. Very cleverly done. I would certainly read more by this author.
Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.… (meer)