When the tortured body of a woman is found in a magician's illusion box, Detective Mina Dabiri recruits mentalist Vincent Walder. With no police experience but knowledge about human nature, magic tricks and his detailed observations, Vincent is thrust into the murder investigation that becomes much more than he ever could have imagined.
Besides the wonderfully sinister, 'I won't be reading this book at night' opening chapter, what stood out for me the most were Mina and Vincent, two unique characters who bond over their 'otherness'. What stood out for me with this slow burn thriller was how the authors - Läckberg, a Swedish author well-known for her Nordic crime thrillers and Fexeus, a Swedish mentalist and TV host - include detailed backstories and the personal lives of their characters. These details gave the story depth and provided readers with a gaggle of culprits.
With Läckberg's skill at writing Thrillers and Fexeus' experience as a mentalist, this writing duo nailed the chilling crime scenes!! Inner shivers galore! But this is a BIG book, and the tension was hit and miss for me because the story meandered with excessive descriptions of situations and (in my opinion) an unnecessary romantic angle. I felt the detailed descriptions of the characters' domestic lives took focus and urgency off the hunt for a sadistic murderer - which honestly is what I was most eager for.
This was my first book by Camilla Läckberg and/or Henrik Fexeus and I enjoyed the twists, the sinister feel and the unique main characters. The mix of domestic drama, police procedural and sinister murder mystery is a good combo and with better balance between them, I think I would have enjoyed it even more. I am interested to see where the authors take this duo in future books.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to HarperCollins Canada for my advanced copy provided in exchange for my honest review.
My Rating: 4 stars
Authors: Camilla Lackberg and Henrik Fexeus
Genre: Suspense
Series: #1 in the Mina Dabiri and Vincent Walder series
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada
First Published: May 26, 2022
Book Description from GoodReads: A shocking murder…
It’s a case unlike anything detective Mina Dabiri has seen before. A woman trapped inside a magician’s box, with swords pierced through. But this time, it’s not a magic trick. It’s murder.A case which twists and turns…
Knowing she has a terrifying killer on her hands, Mina enlists the help of celebrity mentalist, Vincent Walter. Only he can give her an insight into the secret world of magic and illusions.
A ticking clock to stop a serial killer…
Mina and Vincent soon discover that the murder victim has the roman numeral III engraved on her leg. The killer is counting down. There are going to be three more murders. And time is running out to stop them.
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