This book got off to a really great start and I really connected with both Madison and Kathryn but the ending felt very under-developed.

The best thing about this book was the depiction of the law student, Madison, and how her rose-tinted view of the legal system is shattered. The author (who, after finishing the book, I learned is a former federal prosecutor) does a really good job at depicting the morally grey tactics used by prosecutors in attempting to “flip” witnesses. It felt super gritty and realistic without being melodramatic.

The first issue was how the reader is constantly told that there is a vast conspiracy but never shown it.

We are told that the mob has people “on the inside” at every level who can track Madison and Kathryn’s every move but they only interact with three people. And once those three people are taken care of, suddenly everything is solved and Madison is free from the mob. 

This leads into the second issue which is character agency or lack thereof.

The resolution of the plot is not due to the actions of either main character but rather the sudden change of heart from a side character. This was such a letdown because neither Madison nor Kathryn ever outsmart the mob but are rather “saved.”

A minor gripe that I have is that I feel like it’s somewhat tacky to be namedropping brands throughout the book. Doordash, Instacart, etc are mentioned multiple times when a generic term (eg: takeout, grocery delivery) would have been just as good. I don’t think these brands actually sponsored the book but it reminded me of bad product placement in movies.

Overall, it was a solid book and a definite page-turner. 

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.