I love a good procedural, and I love it even more if it can keep me surprised and interested. In some ways, Verdon's book is standard: retired cop pulled into an investigation, investigation gets ridiculously complex, etc. But I give big points for keeping the plot twists unusual and interesting, making things feel like they couldn't be solved until suddenly they were. Gurney is a likable protagonist, a thoughtful guy, and he does enough self-analysis here to make him more than just your average investigative protagonist.