Parting Shot

Author: Linwood Barclay
Genre: Suspense, Canadian
Type: Trade Paperback
Pages: 447
Series: Companion book to the Promise Falls series (** Recommended that readers read it after the third book, Twenty-Three)
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
First Published: October 31, 2017
First Line: "I ran into someone on the street in Promise Falls the other day, a woman who knew me back when I was a cop here, before I left for Griffon, near Buffalo, and became a private investigator."

Book Description from GoodReads: A gripping thriller packed with scandal in a small town, from the master of the twist you never saw coming - international bestseller, Linwood Barclay.

When a young girl from Promise Falls is killed by a drunk driver, the community wants answers.

It doesn't matter that the accused is a kid himself: all they see is that he took a life and got an easy sentence. As pack mentality kicks in and social media outrage builds, vicious threats are made against the boy and his family.

When Cal Weaver is called in to investigate, he finds himself caught up in a cold-blooded revenge plot. Someone in the town is threatening to put right some wrongs...

And in Cal's experience, it's only ever a matter of time before threats turn into action. 

My Rating: 5 stars

My Review: Confession: I'm a huge fan of Linwood Barclay's Promise Falls series.  Huge. Ha-uge. 

So far, I've only read the first two books in the series (I own the third - I just need more hours in the day to read) but I easily, and quite happily, slipped back into the small, terror/secret-laden town as I read this companion book which slips into the series after the third book -- a 3.5, if you will.

Fans of the earlier books will enjoy seeing two prominent characters return but Parting Shot could easily be read as a standalone. Barclay does a good job giving his readers little plot reminders if they've read the previous books, but new-to-this-series readers won't be missing out if they're jumping in and I'm predicting these newbies will be enticed to read the first three books. Barclay's plot reminders from the previous books are few and usually not so detailed that they give away too much of the previous plots. 

As usual, Barclay provides twists and turns and just when I'm feeling like a Suspense hotshot and think I can predict what's going to happen, he pulls the proverbial rug out from under me with a big ol' twist. Well played, Mr. Barclay! Well played!

I highly recommend picking up the Promise Falls series. It's fast-paced and twisty, with intricate plot lines that aren't fussy yet intersect smoothly with each other.  The story is told via the POVs of several interesting characters and a touch of humour brings it all together for an entertaining and unputdownable book series. 

Put this book and series on your 'gotta read now' list.  You won't regret it. 

Disclaimer: This book was generously given to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.