London police detective Maeve Kerrigan has a real dilemma
this time around. There is a new serial killer on the
loose
and he is a bad one. Somehow, he meets women, gains their
trust along with entry into their homes, where he kills
them
in a ritualistic fashion. Maeve is brought into a special
investigative task force to try to catch this murderer,
which is an honor, but there is a slight problem. Her
partner, DCI Josh Derwent, seems to be a top suspect of
being The Gentleman Killer. This is supposed to be kept a
secret from him but Josh is not a man that will be left
out
of things. Maeve admits that Josh Derwent is a lot of
unflattering things, yet being a murderer is not on that
list. When it comes to light that the current murders may
have a beginning in Josh's past, Maeve agrees to keep him
informed about the investigation.
This may or may not be a great idea although it will most
likely solve the murders a lot faster. Maeve and Josh are
both risking their careers by going against direct orders
from their superior but Maeve just has to do what she
feels
is right. She just wants to catch this vicious killer
before
he adds to his body count.
THE STRANGER YOU KNOW starts out with one of the creepiest
openings of any book I've read, and it was delicious
scary!
Things slow down a little after that but not for long.
There
is one murder after another, which leads to the forming of
the special investigation unit.
Maeve Kerrigan is a rather unusual character. She is
tireless, stubborn and quite headstrong when she gets
something in her head. That is what makes her a great
detective as well as somewhat annoying. I had to question
some of her decisions as she went along but she always
seemed to come out on top.
DCI Josh Derwent is one of the most complicated characters
you are likely to meet in a book. He is very full of
himself, rather sexist, and fancies himself to be quite
macho along with being superior to most women, especially
Maeve. She rarely defends herself when he goes a rampage,
which is often, and that can become a little irritating.
He
is a good cop, though, and I suppose that is what is most
important. Derwent has few redeeming qualities, so being
great at his job is something at least.
I became very engrossed in THE STRANGER YOU KNOW from the
very beginning. That should be obvious by the way I was
drawn into the personalities of the characters. The
investigation was much like peeling the layers of an
onion,
revealing only a little at a time. It makes for a
fascinating story that Jane Casey crafts expertly. At
times
compelling, nerve-jangling, mesmerizing and outright
frightening; THE STRANGER YOU KNOW offers plenty of twists
and turns before reaching a mind shattering conclusion.
He meets women. He gains their trust. He kills them.
That’s
all London police detective Maeve Kerrigan knows about the
man she is hunting. Three women have been strangled in
their
homes, and it appears to be the work of the same sadistic
killer. With no sign of break-ins, every indication shows
that the women let their attacker in willingly. The
victims'
neighbors and friends don't seem to remember anything
unusual or suspicious, and Maeve is almost at a loss about
how to move forward with the investigation.
Then the evidence starts to point to a shocking suspect:
DCI
Josh Derwent, Maeve's partner on the police force. Maeve
refuses to believe he could be involved, but how well does
she really know him? Secrets Derwent has long kept locked
away are coming back to haunt him, and the more Maeve
learns
about her partner's past, the more difficult it is to
dismiss him as a suspect. After all, this is hardly the
first time Derwent's been accused of murder.
Jane Casey returns with her most outstanding novel yet in
The Stranger You Know, a taut thriller and an intimate
portrayal of complicated, all-too-human characters.
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