What Lucy doesn’t know is that Malcolm is quietly working the very same case she’s got her sights set on, and their on-again, off-again romance adds nicely to the story’s tension. In spite of their growing friendship, the pair don’t trust each other, each doubting the other’s motives and reluctant to share information. That makes these central characters entirely relatable, adding depth and nuance both to their relationship and to the chief mystery. Flynn’s cast in general holds interest, with some characters—notably the Holland couple, as a study in contrasts—more memorable than others, all set against the secrets and mysteries of a small town eager to believe a false story simply because the powers-that-be created it.

Flynn (author of the Like No Other series) keeps the clues coming at regular intervals, ensuring the taut pacing sharpens readers’ curiosity, and the final reveal, though not entirely unexpected, is nonetheless gratifying. The importance Lucy gives to clearing her father’s name—and ensuring that he is remembered as an honest police officer who died in the line of duty—is touching, and Flynn capably ties up the story’s loose ends, providing satisfying closure for this neatly woven combination of sunny romance and murder mystery.

Takeaway: A daughter investigates her father’s murder in this romance/mystery combo.

Comparable Titles: Kendra Elliot’s A Merciful Silence, Karin Slaughter’s Fallen

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A