I really enjoyed this. It was the perfect mix of suspense and mystery and character backstories. I loved Evie and Cyrus. Evie was intense. She's prickly and guarded and a complete mess. She makes some dumb decisions and she screws up like any teenager. She's used to looking after herself but she also hasn't had to make her way in the world before, so it's interesting to see how she adjusts. She is a lot like Lisbeth Salander (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) but she's not a younger clone. Unlike Lisbeth, Evie has experienced both sides of the coin - pain and suffering, love and protection. She's more open to both, even if she doesn't trust easily. Evie was a lot more human.

Cyrus was interesting. I was fascinated by him. Although he's suffered, he also had a good childhood up until the murder of his family. I liked that he saw something of a kindred spirit in Evie. The relationship between them was strange as both tried to find their footing. But I really enjoyed how they worked together to solve the crime.

The crime itself was good. I liked how it all unfolded. I loved Lenny (the chief policewoman who rescued Cyrus as a child). I wish we had of got to see more of her. The mystery was somewhat predictable as the clues unfolded but there were a few surprises. This is much more a character driven story than plot, but the mixture of the two really worked for me.

I can't wait to read the next one and I was excited to find out that there will even be a third book in the series. That's how much I loved it. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5. ( )

Wow this author writes a fantastic mystery.
I Definitely didn’t see the ending happening the way it did. I can’t wait to read other books from this author. ( )

This is the first in a new crime thriller series by one of my favorite authors.

Cyrus Haven, a criminal psychologist, tries to help a young girl with a horrifying past. The nearly feral child was found hiding in a secret room when authorities discovered her as they investigated a brutal murder. There are no clues as to her real identity, so she is taken in by social services. Now, Evie Cormac (a name she was given by the court) is petitioning to be released from a children's home and declared an adult. Cyrus Haven is meant to determine if she is ready to be on her own. He soon discovers that Evie has an unusual skill -- she's a human lie detector. As Cyrus becomes invested in Evie Cormac, he's also involved in a murder investigation of a local figure skater.

This was quite entertaining and absorbing. The revelations about things that happened in the past for both Evie and Cyrus were interesting as were the secrets and lies exposed during the course of finding out what happened to Jodie Sheehan. I liked the alternating points of view as narrated by Evie and by Cyrus. Though I pieced together what and why and whodunit quite quickly, I still enjoyed reading the unraveling as the author peeled back the layers with such a clever plot.

Thank you to Scribner for the e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. I'm off to start the second book in this series. ( )

UPDATE: 7/12/2022 - Still gripping second time around!

UPDATE: 6/12/2022 - Rereading books 1 and 2 in preparation to read book 3!

4.5 Stars

Evie Cormac is the kind of character that captures my heart instantly. A traumatised and damaged child with a steel barrier around them to keep everyone out and protect what little they have left of their love and trust. I want nothing more than to watch their walls come down and for them to find someone to anchor their trust and recovery to, so I read with my heart in my throat as I turn the pages, hoping to see this unfold. Enter, forensic psychologist, Cyrus Haven. He is investigating the murder of beautiful and successful teenager, Jodie Sheehan. I did struggle to fit these two stories together as they didn't intersect enough to flow for me, however, in and of itself the murder mystery was really engaging too. I was thrilled to secure book two from the library and will be starting that tonight. It promises to be every bit as fantastic as this book.

CW: violent sexual, physical, mental, emotional abuse of child not on page but some description of injuries suffered ( )

Too many issues to get past (fostering situation) to enjoy....maybe 3 stars as it was an easy read. I don't think I will continue on to the next in the series. ( )