A woman has been stabbed on the hike and bike path around Ladybird Lake in Austin, Texas. Detective Jacob Merritt is on the case, but he and his partner Kendra are convinced there’s more to it than the opportunistic attack it appears to be.

It doesn’t take long for the Feds to swoop in and take the case off their hands – confirming suspicions that there’s something big going on – but Jacob does not want to let go. This is something he has in common with Bailey Rhoads. She works the crime beat for the Herald newspaper and she’s similarly committed to getting to the bottom of what’s really going on in this case.

So we have two stubborn, focused main characters who are about to butt heads in some interesting ways.

Before I dive into all the bigger things that I loved about this book, I have to give a shout-out for the setting. The book is set in Austin, and while I’ve only been there twice, I was impressed with the detail. I recognised landmarks and it felt good being able to revisit a favourite place. Austin is an amazing city, but it is by no means the most exciting part of this book – that belongs to the characters.

I am (for all intents and purposes) married to a journalist and I have to say not even he gives me the kind of detailed breakdown that Bailey does in this book. I could FEEL the tension in the newsroom, the urgency to file her story, all of it. The detail and accuracy pulled me all the way into this story. It helps that not only is there a lot of detail, but our main characters are professionals who Know What They Are Doing and I am here for it.

Bailey’s drive to solve this case makes sense given the round of lay-offs that have hit the newspaper over the preceding months. It’s more than just wanting to solve a case because of some sense of justice or what is right. It helped me understand why Bailey would make such dangerous decisions – because she was just pushed that far in fear of losing her job. Jacob’s motivation is similarly convincing: an inept person has taken over and Jacob is sure that this person’s priority is not solving the case. So he keeps going, even though his actions could get him in trouble with his superiors. In short, I’m buying what these characters are selling.

Okay, fine. So why is this a B+ book for me? Well, in a word, pacing. The first half of the book felt MUCH slower than the second half and at times it was a bit of a slog. The investigation itself didn’t seem to be getting anywhere initially and that grew tiresome. Our main characters were working but didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. But the central mystery (initially a clue-less one) kept me coming back and I persevered; I’m so very glad that I did. The last third of this book had my heart in my throat and I simply Could. Not. Stop.

There are some VERY satisfying twists and turns in this book. If you are in the mood for competent heroines and you’d like to immerse yourself in a different life for a bit, then this is the book for you.