Rating: 
Summary: Wow!
Review: The character development in this book was so well done that I KNOW I've met these people before. Jess Walter has clearly done his homework on the intricacies and nuances of police work but more importantly, the depth of introspection in which the characters engage evidences Walter's full grasp of how people really think and feel. I loved the book, identified with the characters and laughed outloud at their insights and anecdotes. I also cringed when I identified with a character's internal dialogue about the similarity between prostitution and 'settling' in marriage. Buy this book, curl up on a couch somewhere and get ready for an exciting ride that has both physical and emotional scenery you can actually SMELL!
Rating:
Summary: Strong writing
Review: While it has been mentioned in other reviews that the plot of this story is somewhat derivative, I would say that all stories work or don't work due to how the story is told. There are only 12 known plots anyway, right?In this story the female heroine, Caroline Mabry, is dealing both with a serial killer that seems to have made a connection to her, personally, and with her unresolved feelings for her ex-partner. As the body count increases and the police attempts to solve the crime continue to fail, her emotions become more and more frazzled, leading her back to her former partner and mentor. What I think is most important here is that Jess Walter can write: he develops believable characters, his language is years ahead of most mystery writers and he tackles themes of interest and meaning. What's more, he does not shy away from the graphic. There's plenty of sex, drugs and violence in this novel, all describe vividly and without cliche. He knows when to describe a scene in detail and when it's more horrific to just describe the characters reaction to it.
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