This was a really solid start to the series. Not my favorite thriller, but definitely worthwhile enough that I want to continue reading more. This book also reads like perhaps it wasn't initially planned to be a series, so I want to see where she goes with the characters. Rizzoli is interesting and unhappy, and Isles hasn't even been introduced yet (a slight disappointment, but not all that surprising).

I didn't enjoy the romance. It felt unnecessary to the overall story and I really didn't like the cop dating a victim of a current case he's working on element. It's super predatory, although not intended as such in the narrative. And it just didn't need to exist. It added nothing to the story.

I did really enjoy the writing style and the story structure. Despite the fact that I've seen the show so I kinda knew the plot twist and overall mystery, it entertained me. There was enough story and character development to make the whole book interesting beyond just the whodunit aspect.

Beyond that there were definitely sexist and transphobic aspects, but I'm not sure how much was just the characters being generally terrible people (because most of them were). I like when the characters are all garbage human beings in cop thrillers so that didn't bother me too much. Definitely something that gave me pause more than a few times, though. I'm hoping it gets a little better in later books.

Overall, it's a fine thriller. I enjoyed it. Nothing special, but I'm interested in continuing on with the series and I'm looking forward to seeing how the books differ from the show. It's kind of a neutral recommendation so far. I don't think I'll be pushing this series on anyone yet, but I also wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it.