An excellent psychological thriller in the beautiful writing of Cook. ( )

I liked this book so much, I went out and got another by the same author the day after finishing it.

Having read some other reviews, I agree that it IS graphically violent in parts, though that violence is a large part of why everything else happens the way it does and how the characters become the people they are.

There are (at least) two big twists in the plot. One could have been predictable if I'd put the book down long enough to really think about it, but the other is just completely out of left field. Wait... I really shouldn't use sports analogies. lol. It's completely unexpected but it doesn't seem contrived. (Although I guess everything in a novel actually *is* contrived.)

It's part mystery, part horror/thriller, and I got tears in my eyes at the end. I'm so glad I picked up this book randomly and that the author has written enough other books to keep me going for a little while. ( )