With so many crime thrillers to enjoy what I want as w reader is a tale that will grab my attention, throw in a good few twists and of course keep me glued to the pages whilst it weaves its eldritch spell over me.

What this story from Lisa does is bring all of that to the fore alongside giving the reader a protagonist who is not just a victim but a hunter as she twists the scenario round with inventive solutions. Its cleverly done allowing the reader to see sensitivities alongside strength, weakness and mental resolve whilst at the same time giving the reader a whole host of characters to delve into as you try to figure things out before the tale reaches its conclusion.

Back this up with some great twists, believable characters alongside a story that keeps you fascinated from start to finish and all round I was a very happy reader. Great stuff.

Flora Dane is a bad ass. Deeply flawed and scarred but a serious bad ass. Held prisoner, abused, and raped for over a year, she's made a new life. She's not happy, and she can never be young, carefree, and trusting like she was before her kidnapping, but she's pieced together a life. That life, imperfect though it is, comes to a screeching halt when she comes to the attention of the Boston Police after an evening out doesn't quite go as planned. The first chapter to this book grabbed me and didn't let me go. Chilling, thrilling, and twisty, it sucked me in and kept flipping the screen on my Kindle.

I haven't read many stories by Gardner but the last few I've read have been intense, action packed, exquisitely plotted, and with characters who are solidly real and fleshed out. Flora isn't always likeable or relatable but I put that down to what she's been through. She's detached from people, deeply mistrustful, and cautious to the point of paranoia. She's also smart, clever, and sneaky.

Detective Warren is back at work after being injured; she's supposed to be on desk duty but is having trouble with that. It was a bit awkward jumping in mid-series and it took me a while to warm up to her. In her own way, she's mistrustful of people and she's deeply suspicious of Flora when they first meet. But she's not lacking in empathy and she's a determined and thorough investigator. I enjoyed her interactions with her team and with her family.

It's hard to talk about the plot or story without going into spoiler territory, but the story was full of surprises, as was Flora. My heart broke for her repeatedly, both the past Flora and the present day Flora. Gardner moves smoothly between the past and the present, gradually building the story, layer by layer, the past laying the groundwork for the present. Flora's past is never really gone or forgotten but even she didn't expect the tentacles that reached out and poked their way into her life. While Gardner is full of surprises, she does gives us clues and hints, most of which I was slow to pick up on but a few I guessed. The ending is, pardon the cliche, nail-biting. Tired though I was, I had to see how it played out and if my guesses were right.