A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Officer Miranda Rader is known for her dedication, hard work, honesty, and integrity—she's the steadfast leader in a crisis. But Miranda wasn't always that way. She grew up as a wild small-town girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Working hard to earn the respect of her position as a police officer with the Hammond PD, Miranda has left 'Randi' in the past.

A respected and admired college professor, Richard Stark, has been brutally murdered. Stark's father happens to be the president of the college and he is putting tremendous pressure on the force to find out who killed his son. Miranda is called for duty to investigate the murder and what looks like to be a crime of passion however something isn't sitting right with Miranda. She is shocked not only at the horrific nature of the crime, but to find a newspaper clipping from her past also at the scene.

Then a retired police officer turns up dead—this officer is Clint Wheeler, the policeman that took her statement that terrible night from the newspaper article. On the surface, these murders appear unrelated, but they have one commonality, Miranda.

Miranda becomes further involved when her fingerprints are found at the scene from the first murder. Everything she has worked so hard for is in jeopardy as her character is questioned. Is she being set up? Is this related to what happened to her all those years ago? Relationships are tested, truths become lies, and evidence tainted. Will Miranda have to reinvent herself again, this time proving once and for all that she is innocent?

The story starts off strong, there is a nice hook, but it deflates quickly. There were too many conveniences in the plot and this could have been avoided if the back story or side plots were fleshed out. For a cop, Miranda is a little daft—she misses a lot of clues that are obvious to the reader. I didn't find it overly psychological in nature, and the story was lacking originally and a good twist. That being said, this was still an enjoyable read and I would definitely pick up this author again.

Miranda or Randi previously, is a bad girl turned good according to the small town where she lives. Now a cop, she is called to investigate a particularly gruesome murder of a well respected college Professor. But it seems she might have had something to do with it. This was a speedy paced book, things going on all the time but it was all a bit too predictable and I expect most people will work it all out long before the end! Never mind it didn't detract from reading it. Great writing style which is easy to read plus an interesting cover with an enticing storyline. Always enjoy this author's books, but some more than others!

From the NYT bestselling author comes a chilling new thriller about a ritualistic murder of a college professor that sends a small town cop back into the trauma she thought she’d put behind her.

Officer Miranda Rader of the Hammond PD in Louisiana is known for her honesty, integrity, and steady hand in a crisis—but that wasn’t always so. Miranda comes from Jasper, just south of Hammond, a place about the size of a good spit on a hot day, and her side of the tracks was the wrong one. She’s worked hard to leave the girl she used to be behind and earn respect in her position as an officer.

However, when Miranda and her partner are called to investigate the murder of one of the town’s most beloved college professors, they’re unprepared for the gruesomeness of the scene. This murder is unlike any they’ve ever investigated, and just when Miranda thinks she’s seen the worst of it, she finds a piece of evidence that chills her to the core: a faded newspaper clipping about a terrible night from her long-buried past. Then another man turns up dead, this one a retired cop, and not just any cop—Clint Wheeler, the cop who took her statement that night. Two murders, two very different men, two killings that on the surface had nothing in common—except Miranda. 15 years ago.

And when her fingerprints turn up at the scene of the first murder, Miranda once again finds herself under the microscope, her honesty and integrity doubted, her motivations questioned. Alone again, the trust of her colleagues shattered, Miranda must try to trust the instincts she’s pushed down for so long, and decide what’s right—before it’s too late.

While this dealt with the important topic of sexual assault and was a quick read, there was nothing in this that really stood out to me from other thrillers.

Unlike with other bokos, this one didn't have me on my toes and I was always kind of sure that everything would work out. I mean, 95% of books have everything work out, but normally I'm not entirely sure. Because of that, I never really felt nervous or tense or anxious about how the book would end.

This might be because I never really felt connected to Miranda. Sure, she has a tragedy in her backstory and a stubborn personality, but I couldn't quite bring myself to really care about her. The subplot of romance was more a subplot of sex and not something I entirely appreciated, perhaps because I felt like she was settling.

I did very much appreciate the statement that the book made about sexual assault and how commonly it goes unreported. Power and influence in the hands of a perpetrator create a serious problem, and this book is not afraid to examine these subjects. This is the biggest strength to the story.

This book is worth your time if you're looking for a decent book to fill some time, but it's not one I'll be raving about.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Erica Spindler's books. I always know that I am getting a good read and a good bang for my buck. As usual, this one did not fail.

I was a little disappointed that I knew like in Chapter Two who the suspect was, but really did I know who it was? I really only knew what part she had played in the main character's, Miranda Radar, life. So the suspense was on. Lots of suspects but which was "the other girl" in Miranda's life?

I sped through this book and it seemed like the shortest 352 pages I have ever read. That's how involved I was in the story. Another excellent read by a great author. Filled with suspense, action, and a strange murder, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.