Title: Anything for You by Saul Black
Valerie Hart Series Book Three
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating:
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Critically acclaimed author Saul Black returns with a heart-racing thriller in which a brutal murder forces one woman to reckon with her own past—and her future.
On a hot summer night, a watchful neighbor locks eyes with an intruder and unwittingly alerts the police to a vicious crime scene next door: a lavish master bedroom where a man lies dead. Next to him, his wife is bleeding out onto the hardwood floor, clinging to life.
The victim, Adam Grant, was a well-known San Francisco prosecutor—a man whose connection to Homicide detective Valerie Hart brings her face-to-face with a life she’s long since left behind. Adam’s career made him an easy target, and forensic evidence points towards an ex-con he put behind bars years ago. But while Adam’s wife and daughter grapple with their tragic loss, Valerie uncovers devastating clues that point in a more ominous direction. Lurking in the shadows of the Grants’ pristine life is a mysterious blonde who holds the key to a very different—and much darker—story.
As Valerie struggles to forge a new path for herself, the investigation forces her to confront the question: can we ever really leave our pasts behind?
Sophisticated and stunning, Anything for You is an unforgettable thriller that will grip readers long after turning the last page.
Review:
Anything for You by Saul Black is a puzzling mystery. Although this newest release is the third addition to the Valerie Hart series, it can be read as a standalone.
Homicide Detective Valerie Hart and Detective Will Fraser are absolutely stunned by the identity of the murder victim of their newest case. Former prosecutor Adam Grant is dead but his wife Rachel survived the attack. Valerie is uneasy about remaining on the case, but she easily convinces herself there is really no reason to step down from the investigation. Evidence at the scene quickly identifies ex-con Dwight Jenner as the killer, but locating him turns out to be problematic. Valerie keeps digging for more information about the Grants and Jenner, but will her hunch there is more to this case that meets the eye pan out?
Valerie is a deeply flawed detective who loves her job. Her marriage to Nick is thriving but she remains one impulsive decision away from destroying her personal life. Valerie is self-aware enough to admit to her flaws and she acknowledges her self-destructive tendencies. She tends to play her cards close to the vest as she wrestles with a choice about her future.
Ignoring her personal issues, Valerie throws herself whole-heartedly into the investigation and follows her instincts wherever they lead. She is sympathetic to Rachel’s terrible loss but Valerie is also a bit troubled by some aspects of the case. Finding Dwight is imperative to closing the case, but no one, including his brother, have any idea where he might be. Stumbling across an unexpected clue sends Valerie’s doubts into overdrive, but will she uncover the truth about what happened inside the Grant home the night Adam was murdered?
Weaving back and forth and time and unfolding from different points of view, Anything for You is a very intriguing mystery. Valerie is an imperfect yet likable character who is fully cognizant of her shortcomings. Rachel is a sympathetic woman but she too reveals few details about herself. The investigation is meticulous and a little slow-paced but Valerie doggedly persists in unearthing the truth about what happened to Adam. Although savvy readers will most likely guess whodunit, the reason for the crime will not become clear until the novel’s conclusion. Readers of police procedurals are sure to enjoy this latest installment in Saul Black’s Valerie Hart series.
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