Kovak & Liska are the two detectives who have been investigating what could be a serial killer in the Midwest. They find what may be the 9th victim on New Year's Eve in Minneapolis. She was brutally disfigured by acid and apparently accidentally fell out of a trunk on the freeway where she was run over and killed.
These murders have all taken place on or near a holiday, giving the potential serial killer the name "Doc Holiday." We eventually get to see the perspective of the serial killer, which I really liked.
Liska's son goes to school with the dead girl, and was at the same club as she was before she went missing. The girl was a misfit and was bullied, as is Liska's son. The investigation into the possibility that this girl was the victim of one of these vicious high school students adds much intrigue to the story. Liska is a single, working mom and we can't help but be sympathetic to the difficulties that brings. She's honestly worried about her children and the effect her absence has on them. So part of the book is her contemplating if she needs to be reassigned to a less demanding department. She and Kovak have a strong personal relationship that shines through these pages, so that difficult decision is also easy to empathize with.
It is always helpful when the personalities of the investigators is as important as the solution of the case, and that is what we have in The 9th Girl. I found it difficult to put down, and I felt not only tension about the murders, but I grew to care about the main characters.
The 9th Girl is a great mystery, even if not a stand-out. While I won't remember this story forever, I did thoroughly enjoy it. Truthfully, I think that's the way I feel about most mysteries. And, like I said, the resolution surprised me. Maybe I'm slow, but I didn't see it coming. This is an easy, fast-paced book that I would not hesitate to recommend to my teen mystery fans, as well as adults. I have a few Tami Hoag books in the library already, and I think The 9th Girl would be a great addition.
Published by Dutton Adult, June 18, 2013
eARC obtained from NetGalley
416 pages
Rating: 4/5
Glad to hear that the mystery was good. Thanks for review Annette I hadn't heard about this one yet.
ReplyDeleteThis one does sound good, I just may get to it this year. I didn't realize it was on netgalley, hmmmm......
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