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Sep 17, 2012SportyReader rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
This is a lot more interesting than Verdon's first book. At first there was a slightly alarming shade of a similar killer angle which thankfully did not stick. However, there are some downsides to the book, which prevents a higher rating from me. First off, the book is too long. Verdon's first, I thought, was too long, and this one is even longer. There were some side plots that seemed pointless and which Verdon tied to the main story, and still ended up being pointless. Some of the detail is also distracting. The characters are still unlikeable. I suppose this is good as Verdon maintains his continuity of the characterization from the start. But it's lessens the fun of reading the book when you don't like, or care, for the main characters. The husband-wife relationship of Dave and Madeline continues to perplex and annoy me. Their interaction is more bleak, more disconnected in the second book. In a book full of unlikable characters it should have made sense for Verdon to try and bring some comfort in having a warm and supporting wife to turn to for wisdom and backup. Instead, I dreaded whenever Dave and Madeline were together. Is every police officer in Verdon's stories a self centered, unfriendly, uncompromising, moronic a**hole? Because that's what I'm getting whenever the BCI cops are involved, cops from other counties and even highway patrolmen. And why is it that only Dave has the insight to uncover clues and crack the case? You'd think that there was no one other than Dave who can do the job, no one who has ever encountered serial killers (who in Verdon's mind seem to be as common as snow in the North Pole). The plot is interesting; the ending is disappointing. I'd say that Verdon still has some paths to travel before he gets it right.