4.5 stars. I always get told to read this series and after finding out they can be read in any order, i jumped into this one and im so glad I did! This is the kind of book that is so cleverly plotted that you get into triple and quadruple bluff territory, the minute you think you know what is going on, the author turns it on its head. Every clue and red herring seems mirrored and you are lulled into a false sense of security that you have solved the case. I did end up being correct but it certainly wasnt straight forward or clear from the start, instead it steadily builds to the reveal. This was just so clever. An absolute masterclass in plotting a novel. Steve Cavanagh is yet to write anything less than a 4 star for me and is fast becoming a favourite author! The writing is spot on, gripping and feels like a running monologue that involves you in the story- not a single note for improvement on that end.

The characters are so well crafted and feel like fully realised and fleshed out people, no one seems like a copy of another, instead they are distinct and life like which lends so much more enjoyment and higher stakes to the story. Absolutely brilliant. Brownie points to Kate for sticking it to the man, we love a feminist icon <3