A VIOLENT MASTERPIECE

4 stars out of 5

Gritty, brutal and not for the squeamish or those opposed to “street” language, this book was more than a little challenging just because of the writing style – which is close to magnificent, by the way, but certainly not something that speedy readers like me can fly though; the sentences need to be savored. At first, I was a bit put off by chapters shifting from one character’s perspective to another – usually indicative of a slogfest that can be confusing to wade through – but there aren’t that many to deal with here and it’s always clear which one is taking center stage.

The characters themselves aren’t all that likable, but that doesn’t make them uninteresting. Each has a backstory with some kind of “secret” – but it’s pretty clear from the start that eventually their lives will intersect. Put another way, it’s a familiar formula but with very different circumstances and outcomes that make for a unique story.

The stars of the show include Jake Deal, who earns somewhat of a living as a night owl and podcaster who follows police activities and other tips to get to – and publicize - the most horrific crime scenes he can find; Douglas Gibson, a defense attorney for the less-than-well-heeled who (perhaps mistakenly) takes on a wealthy Hollywood mogul accused of pedophilia (think: Harvey Weinstein meets Jeffrey Epstein) and Kara Delgado, whom I’d describe as an event planner for, shall I say, a Dark Web-style crowd (think: Ghislaine Maxwell). Fun people? I guess it depends on which side of the aisle you’re sitting on.

Anyway, Kara’s friend Phoebe has gone missing, possibly a victim of the so-called LA Ripper serial killer who’s been around long enough that there are public tours of homes at which his victims once lived. Because of his talent for finding “dirt” that others miss (but mostly because he can use the money), Jake accepts an anonymous offer to gather secrets of well-known people who, supposedly, will be blackmailed if anything substantial turns up.

The book follows these characters’ efforts to, in large part, learn what happened to Phoebe and figure out the LA Killer’s identity and who may be next on his list. As their individual worlds connect, what actually happened, and who made it happen, is revealed. I, of course, can offer no such revelations without giving away any of those aforementioned secrets and spoiling the surprises for other readers. What I can say is that I enjoyed it thoroughly, highly recommend it to other mystery fans and heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read a pre-release copy. Outstanding!

A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper (Little, Brown and Co., April 2026); 384 pp.