Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Audrey Harte is a successful Los Angeles criminal psychologist who works with children and appears on a television series called When Kids Kill. She hasn't returned to her home town of Edgeport, Maine, in several years, moving as far away from her past as possible. Growing up in the small town left some serious scars Audrey's best friend, Maggie, was sexually abused by her father, and no one would help. The teenage girls took matters into their own hands and killed him. Maggie was referred for psychiatric help, and Audrey was sent to a girl's juvenile facility, where she was mentored by the psychologist in charge, who led Audrey to her career. Returning home proves highly stressful, as she must encounter her alcoholic father; her bitter sister; Jake, the heartbreak of her life; and Maggie, from whom she is estranged. The tension really starts building when, a day later, Maggie is found dead, and Audrey becomes the prime suspect. Jake, who now owns a good chunk of the town, is still single, and though he and Audrey are wary of one another, they work together to try to clear Audrey's name and find the killer. This first in a series combines an intriguing mystery with a terrific cast of characters. Fans of Nancy Pickard or Lisa Unger will find much to like in Kessler. Expect her to become very popular very quickly.--Alesi, Stacy Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Criminal psychologist Audrey Harte, the feisty heroine of Kessler's tense, fast-paced debut, sometimes appears as an expert on When Kids Kill, a TV show based in Los Angeles. Years ago in her hometown of Edgeport, Maine, Audrey helped her best friend, 12-year-old Maggie Jones McGann, murder Maggie's father, who had been molesting Maggie. After spending time in a juvenile correction facility, Audrey went on to earn a Ph.D. When Audrey returns to Edgeport, where she hasn't been in seven years, for her mother's birthday, she faces an angry sister, a mother who blames her for being involved in a murder, and a town where everyone views her as a danger. Her first night, she inadvertently meets Maggie, and they have a fight in public. When Maggie is found dead on the beach the next morning, Audrey is the obvious suspect. In her effort to prove her innocence, Audrey reconnects with Jake Tripp, her teenage love, who brings back all the confusing and ambivalent feelings from their past. The action builds to compelling and unexpected conclusion. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
[DEBUT] What would you do for love? Would you kill? Los Angeles criminal psychologist Audrey Harte specializes in children who kill. After seven years away, she is coerced by her mother to return for a visit to the small New England town where, as a teen, she helped murder her best friend Maggie's pedophile father. Once back, Audrey is immediately accosted in a bar by Maggie, the friend she left behind, in an ugly scene witnessed by her old crush, local bad boy Jake. When Maggie is found dead the next day, all eyes are on Audrey-is the past repeating itself? Verdict Debut author Kessler has given fans of Karin Slaughter or Tess Gerritsen an exciting new series to enjoy. Her characters are well rounded, the mystery is solid and twisty, and the plot moves fast. Readers will anticipate revisiting Audrey and Jake in the next volume.-Marianne Fitzgerald, Severna Park H.S., MD © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
