SARAH HILARY
Stats: Trade paperback, Penguin Books, 6/24/14.
How acquired: Birthday gift.
First line: They’ve cordoned off the house by the time she gets home.
(Goodreads synopsis below.)
My thoughts: I struggled a bit to get into this book. The author's writing style did not appeal to me at all. But eventually I fell into the rhythm, and it no longer bothered me. Much.
The lead, DI Marnie Rome, has some serious PTSD over her parents' brutal deaths, and while I gathered she attended some counseling afterwards, I still find it hard to believe that she was allowed to immediately return to work, and I believe she still needs a lot of counseling. DS Noah Jake, Marnie's partner in the current investigation, is the best character in the book, who Marnie could have treated with a little more respect regardless of her higher rank.
Also, speaking of Noah, it really bugged me that at one point early in the story he picked Marnie up at her house, but then just a few pages later Marnie was the one driving the car.
The plot got a bit convoluted, and a bit graphic and violent for Noah. But I did get very caught up towards the end, thus the book earning a higher rating from me than I anticipated in the beginning.
Synopsis from Goodreads: Five years ago, a shocking and bloody crime left Detective Inspector Marnie Rome’s parents dead. Not even her partner, Detective Sergeant Noah Jake, knows much about Marnie’s past. Though as one of the few gay officers on the force, Noah’s not one to over-share about his private life either.
By chance, Marnie and Noah are at the domestic violence shelter when Hope Proctor stabs her husband, Leo. It should be an open and shut case of self-defense, but none of the eight witnesses tells quite the same story. And the question remains: How did Leo get into the secure building? As the violence spirals, Marnie finds herself drawn into a place where the past casts long shadows and she must tread carefully to survive.
