She thinks her husband and son were murdered and will stop at nothing to get to the truth…

Surviving the loss of her husband and son, Detective Cara Kennedy will stop at nothing to find the truth of what happened to them that fateful hiking trip. Following their disappearance and recovery a year earlier, Cara has since unearthed clues that foul play might have been at hand.

I am nothing short of impressed by Iris Yamashita’s follow up to her debut CITY UNDER ONE ROOF. From the go, this book is as atmospheric as it is suspenseful, and the evidence of her screenwriting talent shines through in spades. While this felt like a movie at times, including an action-packed back half, the writing was also lyrical and quiet with a great amount of character depth, even among the more tertiary characters.

To be completely transparent, I did not realize that this was part of a series until I began reading it. And while I think this can be read and enjoyed as a standalone, there is a certain amount of character and world building in the first book that would have enhanced the reading experience. However, the author does an excellent job of filling in the gaps and introducing us to the characters in an organic and unforced way, which was very much appreciated.

I did this as an immersive read, reading with both my eyes and ears, and have to commend this full cast of narrators for the fantastic job they did. They breathed life into each of these very multi-dimensional characters, while simultaneously giving us all of the wonderful dark and gritty vibes that make these types of police procedurals so much fun – even while dealing with heavier themes.

READ IF YOU LIKE:

•atmospheric reads

•Alaska setting

•action-packed plot lines

•gritty detective series

•memorable characters

•multiple POVs

‼️ CW: Death of a spouse and child, dementia, drug trafficking, spousal abuse, and others. Please check triggers before reading if you are sensitive.

Pub: February 13, 2024

Thank you to Berkley Pub and PRH Audio for the gifted copies.