ROMANCE

The Murderer's Daughter

Ballantine. Aug. 2015. 384p. ISBN 9780345545312. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780804177498. F
COPY ISBN
Dr. Grace Blades, like her name suggests, practices psychology with calm, surgical precision. Her clients are typically those affected by the traumatic death of a loved one, but they have no idea about her own early years, marred by domestic violence and death and later shuttled among foster homes. Grace blows off steam with the same MO. She dons a persona and picks up a target for intense, anonymous sex. Trouble arrives on her doorstep though, the day a previous conquest shows up as a new client. Within 24 hours, he's dead, and Grace is drawn into a dangerous cat and mouse game in which she's not even sure who the dead man actually was, let alone who's aiming to kill her. Kellerman's stand-alone thriller features a brilliant, kick-ass heroine who's nobody's victim, a character for whom audiences can't help but cheer. A tight, fast-paced narrative and effective flashbacks—both terrible and tender—drive the action to an unsurprising and not-quite satisfying conclusion.
VERDICT Despite the ending, the rush up is exciting and definitely worth it. A good choice for fans of strong, female-driven thrillers and mysteries, as well as Kellerman's established fans. [See Prepub Alert, 11/3/14.]
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.


RELATED 

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?