Review by Booklist Review
Investigative journalist Jordan Manning returns in this follow-up to Hall's debut, As the Wicked Watch (2021), and now her star is on the rise. After she helped catch a serial killer, her dream of becoming a studio news anchor is closer than ever. But solving a murder has also left her questioning what she's been working towards and whether her life is heading in the direction she truly wants. When Jordan gets a call from a woman who says her sister is missing and the police aren't concerned, Jordan's sure there's more to the case and decides to investigate the disappearance herself. She quickly realizes this simple missing person's case is anything but, and she must decide who to trust and how far she's willing to go to solve it. This is a fast-paced and propulsive mystery with plenty of background information about what it's like to be a journalist, clearly informed by Hall's career as an Emmy-winning TV journalist. Readers in the Chicagoland area especially will appreciate the author's nods to the Windy City.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Television journalist Hall follows up As the Wicked Watch with a dreary second whodunit featuring Chicago crime reporter Jordan Manning. Channel 8 News has just offered Jordan her own program, and the station switchboard is lighting up with calls from viewers pleading to have their stories covered. One such request comes from Shelly Biltmore, an Indiana woman who believes her missing sister, Marla, has been murdered, possibly by her estranged, abusive husband. Jordan doesn't think much of the call until Shelly shows up in Chicago, pleading for her assistance. Jordan returns with Shelly to Indiana to interview a long list of Marla's friends and potential suspects, and uncovers evidence of her involvement in some dark sexual escapades. The plot meanders along, occasionally heating up with admissions of infidelity or abuse, but Hall gives the mystery little shape: Jordan does not so much investigate as wait for her sources to launch into revealing monologues. Rote sections that break from the main plot to document Jordan's struggles with workplace prejudice and lackluster romantic encounters don't help. This is nothing special. Agent: Eve Atterman, WME. (Mar.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Reporter Jordan Manning returns to right the wrongs of Chicago in the second installment of Hall's series (following As the Wicked Watch). This time Jordan crosses state lines to investigate the disappearance of an Indiana mother of two. When Shelly Biltmore contacts the Justice Jordan hotline, she sounds desperate and scared. Her sister, Marla, has vanished, leaving her two children at daycare. The police suspect Marla has simply left her life behind, but Shelly knows better. Jordan is intrigued by the case and her empathy for Marla convinces her to look deeper. There are unknown dangers and more questions than answers; is getting the headline worth the risk? The plot might strike some readers as cookie-cutter, the writing comes of as a bit amateur, and the chapter transitions chapters are clumsy, but Hall does a good job addressing issues of work/life balance and the pressures on working women. VERDICT While Hall's fans might be satisfied, seasoned suspense readers will find the journey from beginning to end a bit disappointing.--Carmen Clark
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