The Secret Friend by Chris MooneyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - 1 day
Publishers - Puffin
Pages - 438
Blurb from Goodreads
Two dead girls in the river
Two tiny statues of the Virgin Mary concealed in their clothing
One CSI on the hunt for their killer
When Judith Chen is found floating in Boston's Harbour, links are made with the murder of Emma Hale, a student who vanished without trace, only for her body to wash up months later.
CSI Darby McCormick is assigned to the case and uncovers a piece of overlooked evidence from the Hale investigation which brings her into contact with Malcolm Fletcher, a former FBI agent now on the Most Wanted list after a string of bloody murders. And when a third student goes missing, Darby is led into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with deadly links to the past and a man who speaks to the Blessed Virgin. A man who wants to be a secret friend to the girls he abducts.
My Review
This is the second book in the McCormick series, I would advise reading the first purely because I loved it and it gives a bit of a build up for McCormicks character. A young woman's body is found, she had been missing for a prolonged period of time, now another is missing and the police realise they have limited time to catch the killer. Why would someone keep the girls alive so long then kill them off and why is each found with the statue of the Virgin Mary with them? As the investigation heats up a rogue FBI agents name pops up and soon a game of cat and mouse begins with him, Malcolm Fletcher and CSI McCormick.
I really like Mooney's writing style, you are drawn in pretty quickly to the story and investigation. Darby is assigned to the case and looks over the previous evidence to see if anything has been missed. This crosses paths with one of the most wanted men, ex FBI and killer who has information about the case but what does he want from McCormick in exchange. There are a few aspects of the story, the killer, why he is the way he is and his time with his captive. Fletcher, the ex FBI agent and his interactions with McCormick, the investigation itself and the possible motive to what drives the killer.
An action packed wee book that keeps you turning the page, I look forward to the next book and where it will take McCormick and if we will see any of the other characters. 4/5 for me this time, I bought all the books of this series after the first one so I will be reading this author again.
Lainy, I must admit that I don't read many books of this sort, but you do make it sound worth reading. On a different note, I have been away on a trip but am back now.
ReplyDeleteKillers with bizarre personalities and motivations can be so appealing in literature.
ReplyDeleteWith that, while I enjoyed some books like this when I was younger, sometimes I find them a bit too disturbing these days.