Title: The Next to Die by Sophie Hannah
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 416 pages
Book Rating: C
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss
Summary:
The New York Times bestselling author of The Monogram Murders and Woman with a Secret returns with a disturbing tale of psychological suspense and obsession that hits at the heart of some of our most precious relationships.
What if having a best friend could put you in the crosshairs of a killer?
A psychopath the police have dubbed “Billy Dead Mates” is targeting pairs of best friends, and killing them one by one. Before they die, each victim is given a small white book.
For months, detectives have failed to catch Billy, or figure out what the white books symbolize and why the killer leaves them behind. The police are on edge; the public in a panic. Then a woman, scared by what she’s seen on the news, comes forward. What she reveals shocks the investigators and adds another troubling layer to an already complex case.
Stand-up comedian Kim Tribbeck has one of Billy’s peculiar little books. A stranger gave it to her at a gig she did last year. Was the stranger Billy, and is he targeting her—or is it something more nefarious? Kim has no friends and trusts no one, so how—and why—could Billy Dead Mates want to target her? If it’s not her, then who will be the next to die?
Sophie Hannah raises the stakes with each successive page in this haunting and twisting thriller that reaffirms her place as one of today’s most talented suspense writers.
Review:
The Next to Die by Sophie Hannah is an intriguing British mystery about the search for an unusual serial killer.
The Major Crimes detectives are stymied in their investigation of a series of murders by a killer they have nicknamed “Billy Dead Mates”. The four murder victims are two pairs of best friends, three of whom are women. The only promising clue is an unusual book each of the victims have in their possession at the time of the deaths. Following the death of her estranged grandmother, comedian Kim Tribbeck is dismayed to remember that she too received one of these books. However, she and the detectives are a little confused since she was given the book a year earlier. In the current cases, the victims were murdered with days of receiving the books. With feminist columnist Sondra Halliday writing vitriolic posts about the murders, she begins receiving missives that are presumed to be from the killer. Detective Constable Simon Waterhouse, Detective Inspector Gilles Proust and Detective Chris Gibbs assigned the cases and they soon have a couple of suspects in their crosshairs. But are either of them the killer?
Kim’s part of the story alternates between pages from her manuscript about the murders and events in real time. She is a bit of a mess since she is recently divorced and dealing with her grandmother’s death. Kim is a loner so she is somewhat confused about why she ostensibly received the first book. Why didn’t the murderer follow through with killing her? Even more troubling is the discovery of new evidence that leaves everyone concerned that Kim might be the next victim.
DC Simon Waterhouse is socially awkward but highly intelligent. He is a crack investigator who tends to work by himself. Simon is making the most progress but he remains closemouthed about his discoveries and theories about the case.
Simon’s wife Sergeant Charlie Zailler is not as focused on the current investigation as she should be. She is curious about her sister’s secretive activities. Despite Simon’s pleas for her to abandon her efforts, Charlie is determine to uncover the truth about what her sister is doing.
Although the premise of The Next to Die is unique, the mystery is extremely slow paced. Sondra Halliday’s passages are long, rambling and slightly over the top. Kim is a sympathetic character with a sad backstory but she is her own worst enemy much of the time. Simon is an interesting addition to the cast and his analytical and methodical investigation is quite interesting. Sophie Hannah brings the novel to a somewhat dramatic conclusion but the “big reveal” is a huge letdown.
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