This is the perfectly written thriller. It has multi-dimensional characters and a plot that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. The pacing provides a perfect balance between getting to know and love the characters, and moving the story forward with plenty of suspense.
At 266 pages, it’s the perfect length. My current pet peeve is that mysteries and thrillers have become way too long, as if the publishers have told the writers they want a certain page count. This unnecessary padding slows those stories down. J.F. Penn, on the other hand, has produced a tightly written thriller that delivers exactly what you need for a satisfying read.
Penn’s writing is authoritative and I found myself wondering how much of the subject she wrote about is true (pretty horrifying if so). I plan to look this up when I have more time.
The gore was a bit excessive for my personal taste (I’m squeamish), especially towards the end, but other readers might be just fine with it so I would never subtract stars for that reason.