Madison Knight is a Detective from the fictional city of Stiles, somewhere near the US/Canadian border. This morning, she is somewhat impatiently awaiting her turn for coffee in a long line, when a woman comes running by yelling, “He’s got a gun!” Madison immediately goes to surveil the area and quickly learns that three women have been shot, two of them fatally, at a coffee kiosk within the Liberty train station. As she attempts to glean information from eyewitnesses, she learns some information that piques her interest – a young woman with a backpack had just been by just before the shooting with a hooded figure that seemed to be following her.
After they clear the scene, Madison and her partner Terry Grant head out to do death notifications. At the first victim’s home, Madison sees a picture of the woman as a bride and is stunned by the resemblance to a high-school friend who disappeared mysteriously years ago. She asks the victim’s husband a few pointed questions, which further support her belief that the dead woman is indeed her former friend. But why was she living under an assumed name? Was she possibly the target of the shooter?
As the investigation continues, it soon becomes apparent that this was no random shooting. The young girl with the backpack is nowhere to be found, and Madison fears her life is in danger. The suspicion of drug running through Liberty Station is high, and circumstances lead Madison to suspect Russian Mafia involvement. (This seems like a stretch if you’re a new reader to this series, but Madison has tangled with them recently, reportedly narrowly escaping death.) But is the Mafia involved in the shooting – or was there a secondary crime in play – and if so why? Finally, was the second shooting victim really Madison’s long-lost friend?
This was my first read in the Madison Knight series, and I very much enjoyed it. Madison is your ubiquitous strong female protagonist, although she borders on being a bully at times, so I’m not quite sure I like her yet. Her partner tries to keep her in check, but she’s like a bull in a china shop when she thinks she’s right – which it appears she usually is! With a bit of searching, I’ve learned that this is the 10th in the series for Madison Knight, and this author also writes two other series as well. Sounds like I have lots of catching up to do! Great read!!
I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & Hibbert & Stiles Publishing in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!
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