Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is yet another great book by Hillier. This book is a bit different from her other books, and not nearly as creepy. That doesn’t mean it is bad – it’s just different than expected.

The book starts with Paris on the floor of her husband’s bathroom, clutching a straight razor and covered in blood. When cuffed by the police and asked if she killed her husband, Paris states “I can’t remember”. Not helpful. Paris enlists the help of her husband, comedian Jimmy Peralta’s, best friend and attorney Eloise. Paris is charged with the murder of her famous husband who is wealthy and decades older than her, and that’s not the end of the bad news. Paris has secrets from her past that if revealed could spell even more trouble for her. Adding to all of this is Ruby Reyes. Dubbed the Ice Queen and recently released from prison after serving 25 years for murder, she knows Paris’ real identify and is blackmailing her to keep the secret. Will Paris decide to finally face the past she ran from, or will it all explode in her face?

The book is told in flashbacks to Paris’ previous life. It’s a grim life, filled with betrayal, pain and abuse. All of Paris’ past experiences form her personality, including her hard work ethic and compassion. She’s fairly detached from everything around her, numbly moving through her current circumstances. The book is told from her perspective, as well as the perspective of her friend Drew, who lived with Paris for a couple years. Drew has a true crime podcast with 3 million listeners. He is working on a series about Ruby Reyes that brings him back into his old life in Toronto. While there he also investigates what happened to his old friend, believing her to have died in a house fire. Drew’s character is pretty steadfast and straight forward. He’s filled with guilt, but overall is fairly one dimensional.

While both mysteries are interesting, and Paris’ story is engaging, I missed the creepy element that is typically found in this author’s books. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good book. It’s just a bit more of a straight-forward mystery without the creep factor.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press Minotaur Books. All opinions are my own.