I won a copy on Goodreads Firstreads.

I was at a slight disadvantage with this book since it is the first book in the series that I have read.This is the 20th book in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series.While it was obvious to me that I was missing some background, I never felt lost.

The characterizations were wonderful.Even characters that were only present for one scene popped off the page.The characters in this book were some of the easiest to visual that I have ever read.

The story starts with the distraught mother asking Peter Decker to help her find out why her son killed himself.The police have already declared the incidence a suicide, but there is the question of where he got the stolen gun that he used.The investigation soon uncovers there are a lot of secrets at one of the local private schools.The secrets are also close to home as the young man who lives with them has a secret affair.

If someone had described this book to me,I would have probably figured it would be annoying with young teens in love(with all the melodrama and sappiness), using texting(with all of those annoying things like gr8),and having a character basically summarize most of the book when he gives the police his statement.But the author handles it adroitly enough that it really didn't bother me.Well the young teens in undying love did get a little tiresome by the end, but not too bad.

It looks like I do have one thing over long time fans. I now have the previous 19 books that I get to enjoy for the first time.