While this is the fourth installment of the DI Dan Riley series, this can definitely stand on its own – this book focuses a lot more on the victims of the crimes than the investigation itself.
Daisey Garrett is left for dead after a brutal attack by the Rose Petal Ripper – so dubbed because the killer leaves a single rose on their victims. While she is the lone victim who survives this serial killer, she is left with amnesia, which the investigators hope is just temporary. Following the attack, she is not only worried about paying her mortgage after her fiancé leaves her for another woman, but she’s also afraid to be home alone, so she brings in a roommate from work, Iris. But when Daisey’s memory slowly starts to come back, is she still in danger?
I liked the writing in this book. It definitely pulls the reader through. And I really enjoyed the alternating chapters about Rosie and her twin brother. Learning more about the pair of them was as much of a draw for me to keep reading as Daisey’s chapters. There was so much wrong with their story – from their mother who never got over not having twin girls to all the accidents that kept happening whenever they were alone – the reader definitely developed sympathy for Rosie’s brother.
But, while the idea of this story was intriguing and definitely sucked me in, the message I took away from this book left me disappointed. I don’t want to offer any spoilers, so I’m going to keep this vague, but I couldn’t tell if we were supposed to figure out Iris’s secret so early. I figured out what seemed like it was supposed to be a big twist almost right away. Again, I couldn’t tell if that was purposeful or not, but since this is a suspense/thriller, I’m assuming it was supposed to be a shocking surprise.
And, this book suffers from when it’s being published. As someone reading this in the United States at the beginning of 2021, where everything seems to be imploding with bigotry and hatred, some of the subject matter in this book seems like it might fuel the fire with some of the negative stereotypes included. Maybe I’m reading too much into this what’s-supposed-to-just-be-for-fun thriller, but it became my whole takeaway from the book.
Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.