Karen Taylor is staying at her old family chalet on the Isle of Wight. She is conducting a series of interviews for a paper on Dangerous Severe Personality Disorder, and her reason for being on the Isle of Wight is to interview Spike Falconer who is in Parkhurst prison. Spike Falconer is convicted of shooting a family of four who were enjoying a picnic on a lovely summer day.
Although Karen is enjoying a relatively new relationship with Will Hawkins a Neurosurgeon at Brighton Hospital, soon after arrival on the island she encounters DCI Trench, who asks her to help him to gain information from Spike Falconer who he believes may be responsible for several other murders. Karen is uncomfortable with this, but recognises that DCI Trench is passionate in his belief that Spike is responsible for the murders of several women,.
This is a book with a prologue, and although I admit to not liking prologues this is an example of when a prologue really works, as this one grips and hooks one straight into the book. There are some good characters, although I found it difficult to get a handle on Will; I think that there is more to Will than meets the eye and I cannot wait to discover more about him.
The baggage that Karen carries regarding her late husband is alluded to early in the book and then the details are fed skillfully to the reader as the story progresses. As Karen leans more about Spike Falconer she clashes with DCI Trench.
I have enjoyed greatly the Trish McGuire series but I liked Karen and hope to learn more of her in future books. Very highly recommended.
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Lizzie Hayes