LAST CRY

4.5 stars out of 5


NOTE: Since my review was posted, the name of this book has been changed to Black Heart. Sorry for the confusion.

Getting in at the beginning of a new series always makes me happy and yes, optimistic. And when it turns out that it's a winner in my book (pun intended), I'm ecstatic. Already, I'm looking forward to reading the next book featuring London Detective Dan Riley.

 For openers, he's an intriguing character. Two years before the book begins, his much-loved girlfriend and their unborn baby are killed in a car-motorcycle accident. He's back at work and functioning fairly well, although it's clear he's not even close to coming to terms with her loss (truthfully, he wallows in his grief a little more often than I'd have liked). But he's making progress, and when a man is found dead in the bathtub of a posh hotel room with his wrists cut, Dan goes in for a closer look and determines that the manner of death probably isn't suicide. When the subsequent pathology reports bear out his suspicion, Dan finds himself in the throes of a murder investigation.

Early clues, including a note signed "Daddy Bear" and a relatively expensive stuffed teddy bear suggest a sex-for-hire gone horribly wrong, but something makes Dan's nose start to twitch and think something even more evil may be at play. When another body is discovered - with the same M.O. right down to another teddy bear - it brings to Dan's mind the old fairy tale, "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." That, in turn, presents a problem that puts an even greater rush on finding the killer: If both Daddy Bear and Mama Bear are down for the count, can Baby Bear be far behind?

So, the race is on to keep that from happening. Chapters switch from Dan's perspective to that of the killer (readers learn the identity of the woman, who's known by multiple names including - surprise! - Goldilocks, early on). What she's doing is clear from the start; why she's doing it - and whether she'll be caught before she can add her intended finish to the fairy tale - help build suspense and tension right up to the end.

Overall, though, this is a very enjoyable, fast-paced book, and I applaud the author for creating an intriguing character who shows much promise for many more to come. For the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review, I heartily thank the publisher (via NetGalley).

Last Cry by Anna-Lou Weatherley (Bookouture, January 2018); 307 pp.