Thank you NetGalley and Titan books for access to an early release copy.

Ronald Malfi is always an anticipated read of the year. In this crime horror, the rumors of a possible serial killer run rampant in this new thriller set in Los Angeles. 

With 2 points of view, lonely widow Detective Bill Renney fills a misogynistic stereotype and I can tell I already don’t like him. And then we have Maureen, newly engaged and feels like a new person, the cliche of small town girl to big city and leaving the small town behind. I’m seeing a cliche themes here. So how do these two random characters intertwine? They may just have the same person of the interest on their mind. The beginning reads more crime thriller than horror and I’m realizing I prefer Ronald Malfi more in his small town elements.

For a newly engaged couple, they seemed completely clueless of each other and the story lost me in that element. But the Ranney point of views were stronger, the reflection of grief and loneliness mixed with his detective work. His character softened as the story continued. Maureen just didn’t work for me at all and felt out of the element of the writer. The plot gave the reader some ideas of delusion, to question what we believe to be reality, and I appreciated those moments. 

This didn’t feel like a work of the author, no last minute twists, additional twists unexpectedly. So a little disappointing. If you go into this as a crime thriller, you will probably enjoy. But don’t go into it for the horror elements, as those felt more lackluster and rushed.