Aaron and Allison Decker have a good life. Aaron translates Japanese novels into English and Allison is a reporter. They have a great marriage and are content. That is, until the day Allison walks out to meet a source and walks into a man who has picked this day to kill his parents, his ex-girlfriend and anyone standing near. Allison is one of the victims and her death leaves Aaron reeling.
A few months later, he finally has the strength to go through the box containing her belongings from work. He is surprised to see a receipt from a hotel in another state and as he thinks back realizes that he was out of town himself on a work assignment. Why did Allison go to a hotel in some little town he had never heard of? Was she having an affair?
Aaron decides to look into it. What he discovers is more life shaking than an affair. Allison was tracking a serial killer, one who had claimed victims all along the Eastern Seaboard and who had remained invisible. Even more shocking, Allison's sister, who she had told Aaron had drowned, was one of the first victims. Did Aaron know Allison at all? Was their whole life based on a lie?
Ronald Malfi has written a novel that besides being a mystery, asks the question can we ever really know anyone, even those we love? Do we really want to know the secrets that our partners choose to keep or will they shatter the relationship? They mystery is solid and the characters that Aaron meets in his search are portrayed well. The impetus for the novel is a random shooting in a newsroom in which Malfi's friend was killed a few years ago and the randomness and grief that such an event leaves behind is well written. This book is recommended for mystery readers.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment