Review: Dead Girls by Graeme Cameron

Title: Dead Girls by Graeme Cameron
Publisher: Park Row
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

I may not remember everything, but I know he won’t hurt anyone else.

I won’t let him.

It’s been two months since a serial killer brutally attacked police detective Alisha Green and left her for dead. Two months since she could effortlessly recall simple things, since her mind felt remotely sound. The nameless killer thinks he knows her, thinks she’s just another dead girl among many. Ali Green plans to show him he’s dead wrong about that.

Ali has two enemies now: the dangerous man she’s hunting and her own failing memory. As explosive new evidence comes to light and conflicting accounts from a witness and a surviving victim threaten both her investigation and her credibility, she begins to question what is and isn’t real. And now Ali has no choice but to remember the past…before it buries her.

A hypnotically gripping thriller that proves international bestselling author Graeme Cameron is one of the most unique voices in contemporary fiction today.

Review:

Dead Girls by Graeme Cameron is a fast-paced and suspense-laden police procedural. This latest release is a follow-up to Normal and I highly recommend reading the two mysteries in order.

Detective Sergeant Alisha “Ali” Green is continuing to recover from the brutal attack she experienced when confronting a still at large serial killer (who is using the alias Thomas Reed) and one of his captives, Erica Shaw. Ali is suffering from memory losses and muscle weakness from the attack but she tries to hide these issues from her fellow detectives and acting Detective Chief Inspector Jenny Ryan.  A week before she is scheduled to return to work, Detective Constable Kevin McManus calls her to the scene of a burned out vehicle which might contain the remains of two of their missing colleagues. With a lot of confusion still surrounding the scene of Ali’s attack, DCI Ryan is concentrating on capturing Erica whom she and many of the officers assigned to the case  believe is responsible for the attack on Ali, McManus and the other detectives who lost their lives. Ali clashes with everyone on the case since she remains convinced that Erica is nothing but a victim and that serial killer Thomas Reed is person responsible for mayhem from weeks earlier. Will Ali change their minds before it is too late?

Ali is really struggling as she partners with McManus to try to find Erica and That Man (which is how she refers to serial killer Thomas Reed). With bits and pieces of information coming out of the blue and often without context, Ali is definitely at a disadvantage during the investigation but she is certain that Erica is not a killer and that, in fact, her life is most likely in danger.  With so many elusive details skittering in and out of her mind, Ali relies on her notes to help her keep track of her thoughts and the steps she needs to follow while she works the case.

Joining the investigation is analyst DC Fisher but something about her seems a bit off to Ali. She does not raise these suspicions with anyone else but she keeps Annie close to her as Ali tracks down leads and follows her hunches. Ali continues trying to get Erica’s mother to reveal where her daughter is when another murder ratchets up the sense of urgency surrounding the current investigation.

Dead Girls is an intricately-plotted murder mystery that is filled with tension as Ali tries to piece together the truth surrounding the events that occurred during her confrontation with “That Man”. Graeme Cameron brings the novel to an incredibly twist-filled and adrenaline-laced conclusion. An excellent follow-up to Normal that will absolutely delight fans of the genre.