Jo Greaver would appear to have it all. A growing company, a loving partner, supportive friends, and up and coming success. She is also being blackmailed. When she comes to the payoff with a bag of money and a gun, the blackmailer is killed and she is injured. This seems an open and shut murder case for detectives Sterling and Mendoza and yet as the investigation goes on it just doesn’t add up somehow for Sterling.

I read this whole book in a couple of hours, which should say something about how good it is. The entire mystery is a hall of mirrors with circular clues, obvious, certainly guilty of something suspects, and a huge array of technicolor characters that should not have anything in common with each other. The author expertly juggles varied plot points using Sheryn Sterling and her partner as wonderful fixed points to keep the various threads of the story pulled tight, keeping the reading on the edge until the reveal shows how it all falls together. I have not read the first book in this series. It wasn’t needed as this stands alone nicely, however, I will make catching up a priority because these characters deserve to be read. ( )

This is a fast-moving combination crime thriller and police procedural murder mystery. It begins with Jo Greaver. delivering a satchel full of cash to her blackmailer in a grubby apartment in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen area. A gun fight breaks out with Jo and her blackmailer each being shot by the other. Jo flees the scene and the stage is set for an action filled tale which comes to a satisfying conclusion after a succession of red herrings and false leads. Wonderful suspense too. The New York City setting is authentic and done well.

Four narrators take turns progressing the story.: Jo, her boyfriend Cal, NYPD detective Sheryn Sterling, and her partner, Rafael Mendoza. The two female characters, Jo and Sheryn, are the principal ones with Cal and Rafael playing supporting roles. Sheryn is a standout protagonist -- her character has plenty of depth. This is the sequel to the first Sheryn Sterling novel, but it can easily be read as a standalone.

All in all this is an excellent and agreeable story. Recommended reading.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher Thomas & Mercer, via Netgalley. The foregoing comments about it are my own. ( )