by Max Seeck
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 400
Format: eARC
Buy the Book: Amazon
Goodreads: A bestselling author’s wife has been found dead in a gorgeous black evening gown, sitting at the head of a formally set dinner table. Her most chilling feature—her face is frozen in a ghastly smile.
At first it seems as though a deranged psychopath is reenacting the gruesome murders from The Witch Hunter, the bestseller written by the victim’s husband. But investigator Jessica Niemi soon realizes she’s not looking for a single killer but rather for dozens of believers in a sinister form of witchcraft.
They know her every move and are always one step ahead. As the bodies start piling up, Jessica knows they won’t stop until they get what they want. And when her dark past comes to light, Jessica finds herself battling her own demons while desperately trying to catch a coven of killers before they claim their next victim.
Kritters Thoughts: Roger Kopnen is a famous author and the final book in his trilogy has just been released. While he is away promoting this book, his wife is found dead in their home and looks similarly to something from one of his books - is he a suspect or is someone trying to frame him?
This was a book that was translated and I am not sure if it was in the translation or in the editing from the book that I received from Netgalley, but I was missing some information that would have put some context to a few of the chapters that went back in the past of one of the investigators - Jessica Niemi. I wish I had some more info as it would have helped place these in the context of the greater story.
I hate to spoil mystery/thrillers because the ending is pretty vital for the story, but I am not sure I even still know the outcome of all the dead bodies?! I could have missed something, but this didn't affect my feelings of the book in the end. No matter the outcome of who dun it, the way that the bodies piled up and the clues that unfolded, I enjoyed the pacing and the way the author put together the mystery in the story.
I think I would try the next in the series when it is available because I would like to see where Jessica as a character ends up.
Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more
Ebook 2020 Challenge: 107 out of 100
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
The ending felt somewhat anticlimactic and opaque. My suggestion to anyone reading the novel would be to skip all the Venice chapters, as they prove to be wholly extraneous.
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