I found this book incredibly interesting. The plot and the central mystery stayed engaging throughout and there was always new information to keep the theories coming without it becoming overwhelming. There was a lot going on but everything came together in the end. I expected certain plots to get resolved separately but they came together well making the final resolution beyond satisfying. 

The characters in this book feel so human. They are 3-dimensional and emotional. The main character, Riley, is somewhat a generic detective (workaholic, slight alcoholic, no close friends outside of her partner) but she doesn't feel boring. She's got a dramatic past that slowly gets revealed and interesting family dynamics that go beyond the usual. The more you learn about these characters the more their behaviour and relationships make sense. 

That's true for everything in this book. There's characters and plot points that become more nuanced the more you learn about them. This can also be an issue: there are sections in this book that are very information heavy which sometimes pop you out of the narrative. It's not super interesting information but it is necessary to understanding the plot. It's a lot about how corporations and farms work and interacts.

Personally I could get through it and learning the information made the ending make more sense for me (as someone who grew up far away from iowan farms it was completely new information for me) but I feel like there was a better way to convey it than long paragraphs. This is largely contained to the start of the book so it's part of the set up and doesn't disrupt the more interesting or intense moments. 

For a debut novel it's a great start and I can't wait to read the 2nd edition to the Riley Fisher series.