An occasionally convoluted story that delivers a surprising conclusion.
A debut crime novel chronicling the making of a serial killer.
In the late 1970s, Evie Eastway, a bartender and aspiring writer, is struggling in New York City until she survives an assault on 44th Street. During the ordeal, her attacker is accidentally shot dead with his own gun, which Evie keeps. This sets her on a path to fame as an anonymous vigilante killer. When she finds out that her assailant was a known criminal, she feels compelled to replicate her feeling of triumph again by tracking down and murdering other wrongdoers, including a racist skinhead, a drug dealer, and a pension swindler. She eventually becomes known as the “Houdini Killer” for her quick escapes from her crime scenes, and her murders result in press headlines and street art that call her nothing less than a hero. She also falls in love at the same time she’s gaining notoriety—and the object of her affection just happens to be a New York City cop who gets put in charge of the Houdini Killer investigation. The narrative effectively adds other complexities, including people close to Evie who find out what she’s doing, which, in turn, affect her motivations. Is it okay to kill innocent people, she asks herself, to cover up justified killings? Indeed, Moss’ strongest work in this novel comes when Evie’s increasingly sloppy work ensnares and endangers innocent people; the antihero protagonist ultimately claims to be searching for a happy ending, but she’s never fully able to commit to stopping. Some moments, such as Evie’s personal serial-killer rules (“Number one was a no-brainer; always wear sensible shoes”) feel clichéd. However, Moss shines when she focuses on the conflicts that a murderer faces when plans go awry, and the story as a whole comes together well at the end.
An occasionally convoluted story that delivers a surprising conclusion.Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64921-996-1
Page Count: 318
Publisher: Squidhat Records
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
PERSPECTIVES
The story unfolds so irresistibly that newcomers may think Grisham’s been writing thrillers like this his whole life.
What hasn’t legendary legal eagle Grisham tried yet? How about a thriller about serial kidnapping and international terrorism.
When Paul and Chelsea Tanner disappear during a day trip on their Paris honeymoon, their abductors demand a ransom of $2 million from Chelsea’s wealthy parents, and a few days later the same sum from Paul’s much less well-heeled parents. After orthopedist Lowell Clayburn, Chelsea’s father, ponies up the ransom without breathing a word to the authorities, his daughter is promptly released. But even though Paul’s parents sell their home, liquidate their assets, and borrow money from the Clayburns to meet the kidnappers’ demands, the villains hold on to Paul anyway. Asked whether he’s ever seen such an outcome in a double kidnapping, FBI deputy director Andrew Strong tells Lowell: “No, this is a new one.” But it’s not, as Strong knows all too well; it’s the third such active case, all involving honeymooning couples whose bridegrooms had served in the armed forces. After masterfully drawing readers in with his bare-knuckle account of the Tanners’ abduction and the attempt by their families and the CIA to tell the lies required to keep caring friends and the rapacious press at bay, Grisham effortlessly switches gears to follow CIA agent Rae Claire Russo and Stuart Nash, a former Department of Justice prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay who agrees to marry her so they can serve as bait for the kidnappers, whose motives include justice and revenge as well as cold hard cash. So much for the imprisoned Paul’s wistful reflection that “hopefully, it was only about money.”
The story unfolds so irresistibly that newcomers may think Grisham’s been writing thrillers like this his whole life.Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
ISBN: 9780385550543
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2026
Starts with a bang and closes with a knockout punch of an ending.
A violent attack hijacks a woman’s memory in this novel of domestic suspense.
McFadden wastes no time pulling the trigger in this harrowing story that starts with gunfire then swiftly propels readers into a crack tale of secrets and misdirection. Originally self-published in 2016, the book carries the same formidable weight as McFadden’s later novels featuring unsuspecting women who lose their power then fight to recapture it—mostly from men who have betrayed them. That formula perfectly fits Dr. Charlotte McKenna, a 37-year-old dermatologist who isn’t looking for love until the most handsome man she’s ever seen begins to woo her. There are warning signs about Clark Douglas and Charlotte overlooks them to her detriment—but is he a killer? The novel has dual timelines split between events leading up to the day Charlotte barely survives a head wound meant to kill her and the months afterward, when she struggles to reclaim her memory and her mobility. In real life, McFadden is a physician trained to treat brain injuries. Her expertise gives Charlotte’s rehabilitation authenticity, and her writing talent makes it interesting and engaging. As good as that timeline is, readers will yearn to get back to the alternate timeline about who wants Charlotte dead. It’s only a matter of time before Charlotte starts to remember who tried to kill her, and the clock is ticking toward their next attempt. McFadden dishes up plenty of suspects: Charlotte’s secretive husband, Clark; a former patient turned stalker who confronts Charlotte on her honeymoon; and the angry husband of a patient who blames Charlotte for his wife leaving him. Though the story is delicious and dark, McFadden brightens things up with a possible love interest for Charlotte and a surprise ending sure to please the author’s many fans.
Starts with a bang and closes with a knockout punch of an ending.Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2026
ISBN: 9781464249617
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Poisoned Pen
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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