With a wealth of second-rate works currently in the bookshops it was fantastic to find a book that gripped me from the very first page. I was compelled to finish it as soon as possible, foregoing sleep to avoid the frustration of having to put the book down.
Dr Anya Crichton is the heroine in this brilliant work. She is a Forensic Physician struggling to start a new business as a Freelance consultant, with all the expected financial worries, but she is also struggling with the loss of custody of her three-year old son. Her life is particularly full and this makes the tale woven by Fox even more addictive and realistic as we are taken through the life of someone who, while not ordinary by any stretch of the imagination, is someone with whom everyone can relate.
After a high profile case is won, in no small part as a result of her evidence, Anya is asked to look into the apparent overdose of a young girl. The investigation soon shows strange parallels with several other cases being investigated by her friend, Detective Sargeant Kate Farrer.
As Anya and Kate look further into the cases they realise that the deaths are not only linked but may have been part of the same depraved plot. Anya also begins to realise that she may be a part of this twisted plan but nothing can prepare her for the revelations to follow.
Kathryn Fox’ experience as a medical physician is obvious in the wealth of detail she imparts but it is her natural skill as a master (or mistress) storyteller that allows this tale to carry you along with it, through all its break-neck twists and turns and spine-chilling revelations. In addition to all this; the interplay between the two main characters, both single-minded and strong women, is one of the engaging features in this novel.
Littered with medical and police procedure details Kathryn Fox gives even the great Patricia Cornwell a run for her money and keeps the reader on the edge of their chair until the last heart-stopping moment. Absolutely brilliant!