05/06/2024
Assistant District Attorney Rachel Matthews has a lot to juggle— the heavy workload and high expectations of her boss, the promise of a promotion, single motherhood to 17-year-old daughter, Charley, and striving to be a star in all aspects of her life. Rachel has faced a lot of dangerous people as a prosecutor, so when she begins to receive threatening phone calls from a number and voice she doesn't recognize, she's unsettled but not surprised. But the harassment escalates to stalking and a demand: $50,000 in cash in a day, or the stalker will hurt Rachel’s daughter. Rachel shows up, but a shot rings out and ends the life of the shadowy figure she was dreading meeting, and now she knows it's only a matter of time until the police presume that she's a murderer. The clock is ticking to find out who is striving to ruin her life and why.
The result is a tense, twisty mystery that reads quickly and offers an engaging, often secretive cast. Smith (Truth and Other Lies ) keeps readers guessing from the start, with a shifting line up of potential suspects: the jealous coworker, jilted lovers, people Rachel has convicted, the aggressive and inappropriate husband of a new acquaintance. Now, Rachel must rely on help from the police, a high school friend who is now a private eye, and her own wits to come out of this alive.
The character of Rachel is touchingly—sometimes frustratingly—human, at times, a tough prosecutor and professional woman who ignores some giant red flags of imminent danger. Her psychology is convincing, though: Rachel has hidden a troubled romantic past from her daughter, and her fear of revealed secrets keeps her from acting on clear threats sooner. “Why was I always so damn stubborn?” Rachel asks, upbraiding herself even as bullets fly and she reaches for her pepper spray. Smith’s understanding of Rachel’s foibles resonates, the guessing game is fun and fair, and the conclusion will satisfy mystery devotees.
Takeaway: Twisty, character-driven mystery of a DA set up by someone from her past.
Comparable Titles: Lisa Scottoline, Robyn Harding’s The Haters.
Production grades Cover: A- Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A Marketing copy: A
