Parting Shot by Linwood Barclay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Promise Falls PD Detective Barry Duckworth is investigating the attack on a young man who was left for dead in an alleyway, his back marred by a sinister tattoo. At the same time, Cal Weaver, a private investigator, is hired to protect Jeremy Pilford, who, while driving drunk, killed a young woman and got off with probation. Jeremy’s defence has garnered him the nickname of the “Big Baby,” but it’s also enraged the public and resulted in death threats.
Told from the alternating POVs of Duckworth and Plimpton, Barclay masterfully connects the two cases, piece by riveting piece, but he doesn’t stop there. Even the less prominent characters become fully developed to underscore the book’s underlying theme of unintended consequences. An unputdownable thriller written by a master of the genre, with an ending you’ll never see coming. Highly recommended.
PS This is the 4th book in the Promise Falls series, but the first book I’ve read. Coming in to the series midway did not impact my enjoyment of the story, and I’ll backtrack now to read the others.
GOODREADS RATING SYSTEM:
5: It was amazing
4: really liked it
3: liked it
2: It was okay
1: didn’t like it