Synopsis
“Forensic artist Fiona Glass is the best in the business – which is precisely why she’s quitting. Her skill at mining victims’ memories to re-create the faces of sadistic criminals has left her haunted and wary, and only Jack Bowman’s dogged persistence convinces her to help him. The rugged police chief is hunting a serial killer who’s targeting teenage girls. But what seems like a simple assignment is fraught with complications, including a searing attraction to Jack that’s temping Fiona to let her guard down in potentially dangerous ways. Jack never intended for Fiona to become so deeply involved in the case – or in his life. But every instinct tells him she’s his best hope for finding a psychopath who’s lurking in plain sight, growing more ruthless with each passing day. And now that Fiona is right in the killer’s crosshairs, the only way to keep her safe is to unravel a small town’s darkest secrets, one terrifying thread at a time…”
-Synopsis from back cover
Review
*light spoilers ahead*
Thread of Fear is book one in the Glass Sisters duology by Laura Griffin. I’ve been wanting to read this duology for a while, especially after the main character, Fiona Glass, appeared briefly in a Tracers book I read last year. As with previous Laura Griffin books, this one did not disappoint. It was thrilling and suspenseful from beginning to end.
Fiona’s profession was fascinating to read about. I didn’t know much about forensic artists, so learning about the process from a first-person point of view was very eye-opening. Fiona’s work requires her to spend time with victims as they recount the worst moments of their lives in order for her to produces a sketch of the perpetrator. As such, it’s become emotionally exhausting for her and she’s been considering quitting. Fiona is so skilled that she is in-demand with law enforcement all over the country. Despite declaring she’s going to “retire” she keeps getting pulled back in, which is exactly what happens when Jack Bowman shows up asking for her help.
As Fiona gets more and more involved in Jack’s particular cold case, she begins to realize just how dangerous it is. Jack believes that Fiona’s help in getting a sketch of the criminal will help put the case on the map, giving him more manpower to track down the killer. But Jack is not entirely honest with Fiona about the details. There is a lot of back-and-forth between them in which she leaves, he follows her back to Austin, etc. more than once until they are able to get on the same page with the case and their expectations.
I was torn on Jack’s character because of his history with one of the victims, only because it made it seem as though he were off-limits. I wasn’t quite ready to see him with Fiona because of that. I wanted to “ship” them more than I ultimately did, though I do think he redeemed himself by the end of the story.
Overall, I enjoyed this book because it was so fast-paced and the mystery had many layers. Fiona’s sister, Courtney, played a significant role in the story and was a great supporting character. The second and final book focuses on her, and I’m looking forward to reading it soon.
Hannah's Library 