I don't read a lot of mysteries - I write fantasy romance and normally I read one of those two genres, but I found this on the "trade" shelf at work and thought I'd check it out. I am SO glad I did! This is not just a mystery book - this is a PEOPLE book, with complex true-to-life issues. Sheriff Brady runs the gambit from single-mom-working mom-woman boss ordering armed men around-dating after husband's death-what do in laws think of THAT? She has ISSUES - we all can relate to any of those!

Put on top of that a serial killer (and a profiler insisting it's a KID - well, barely adult ex-teen), a town's lack of faith in a woman sheriff, and a best friend w/a toddler in a desperate need of a heart transplant...

This is a multi-faceted book, with "real people" characters I LOVED. There's so much gray - no black and white for this author! There are so many things that AREN'T right-or-wrong, there are no easy answers and no easy fixes. No matter who wins, someone loses. Just like real life.

This was book six, and I haven't read the first five. No problem to follow this story line, but the history is condensed in such a way I probably won't read the first five now, since I know what's happened thus far. I WILL read future books in the series though!