Yeesh….after finishing this I’m not sure which I need more. A drink or a nap? This is a fast paced thriller with 2 story lines that battle for your attention. At the centre of it all are barrister Michael Devlin & his fiancée Sarah Truman, a well known TV reporter.

Devlin has his hands full after he’s handed a murder trial on short notice. HIs client is a quiet young man unwilling to participate in his own defence. Is he guilty or just too scared to name the real killer?

DCI Joelle Levy also has a murder on her plate. And it’s a doozy. It’s bad enough that someone tortured & crucified an elderly man in his home. Add in the fact the victim was one Philip Longman, former Lord Chief Justice, & the case also becomes a political nightmare. Poor Levy…little does she know it’s about to get much, much worse.

Sarah is initially after the story behind Longman’s death but after a few more bodies appear, the whole mess will become frighteningly personal for her & Devlin.

And then there’s the man with pale eyes…*gulp*…okay, moving on.

Chapters alternate between the 2 main plot lines & both are populated with secondary characters who are mostly cops or lawyers. There are plenty of side stories to keep you occupied as Devlin & Levy work overtime on their respective cases.

Michael & Sarah were introduced in Killer Intent, first book of the series. If you haven’t read it, no worries. The author gives enough background so you can easily get the gist of their past & read this as a stand alone. Levy is a new addition, a tough, smart cop with an interesting background. By the time it was all over, she’d become my favourite character.

My only quibble is that I found 1 story line much more compelling than the other. Devlin’s court case was the weaker of the 2 for a couple of reasons. Long discussions during the trial that detailed technical aspects such as cell phone triangulation soon had my mind wandering. They could have been shorter & revealed the same information. Or it might have something to do with the fact I have the attention span of a hummingbird. The other thing was I guessed early on in the trial just why Devlin’s client wouldn’t talk so those chapters never developed any real tension for me.

But the investigation/hunt for a truly despicable killer definitely kept my little grey cells occupied. As both plot lines reach the finish there are a few surprises in store that will have fans waiting impatiently for book #3. ( )