In this taut psychological thriller, Girard (Ruthless Game) portrays the effects of child abuse with clarity and honesty, demonstrating how some victims turn into victimizers while others choose to guard the innocent. Samantha Chase, a special agent for the Department of Justice and a former homicide detective, spends her time apprehending child abusers and caring for her orphaned twin nephews. At all times she represses her own traumatic childhood experiences and maintains an aloof distance from her colleagues, friends and family. But when a copycat killer begins targeting women who are connected to Sam through her cases, her life starts to unravel. Her colleagues wonder what she's hiding behind her icy veneer—could she be a rogue cop?—and a single-minded police chief who's convinced of her guilt is determined to put her away. Sam's primary ally is her ex-lover, Detective Nick Thomas, but his lingering affection for her may place her life in jeopardy. As Sam and Nick come nearer to uncovering the killer, disturbing secrets about Sam's past and her nephews' bleak childhood come to light. Girard maintains the novel's swift pacing and high tension, but a too perfect denouement detracts from the stark, realistic canvas she has created. Still, this is a compelling thriller and a skillful treatment of a difficult topic. (Mar. 5)
