As gritty and dark as always, Saul Black again drags Detective Valerie Hart through the worst of humanity in order to give the reader another incredible, heart-pounding, tension-filled thriller.
This is Saul Black’s third book (following The Killing Lessons and Love Murder) that features Detective Valerie Hart, but these are three separate stand-alone novels. If you have read all three, you’ve gained just a little extra insight into Valerie’s personal growth over time, but it is in no way necessary to read either of the previous books before jumping into Anything For You.
And “jump in” is exactly the right phrase when discussing Black’s work. Anything For You immediately has the reader speeding down the freeway at sunset, just north of San Francisco, in a top-of-the-line vehicle with an ex-con, and a woman named Sophia, who he perfectly describes as “soft as mink and smart as the devil.” Black gets the twists and the action started quickly and never lets up.
San Francisco homicide is called in late one evening when, what started with a burglary call from an insomniac neighbour, turns out to be a murder of former Assistant District Attorney Adam Grant, and the attempted murder of his wife, in their plush suburban home. It’s Valerie Hart’s case, but she has a tiny bit of history with the victim, that causes her to struggle with whether she should be running this investigation and forces her to consider whether we really can leave our pasts behind. Clues from the scene lead firmly in one direction, but more and more questions arise along the way, leading the investigation in a darker, more insidious direction.
Not for every suspense-lover or thriller-reader, Anything For You goes dark – even in comparison to Black’s other work. There is no one unscathed when the dust settles. The most horrific crimes against people and the darkest, ugliest parts of humanity are all unearthed and explored – and that’s just not for everybody. Fans of M.J. Arlidge’s Helen Grace series would feel comfortable in Valerie Hart’s world. (In fact, Valerie and Helen are pretty close to even on the ‘badass women’ scale, in my personal opinion.)
This tightly-wound, brilliantly paced thriller will keep the reader engaged, excited, and glued to the page. This isn’t the kind of book you spread over a few weeks – you read until your eyes can’t focus, sleep, and then read some more!
Anything For You is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Will you be picking up Anything For You? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Critically acclaimed author Saul Black returns with a heart-racing thriller in which a brutal murder forces one woman to reckon with her own past – and her future.
On a hot summer night, a watchful neighbor locks eyes with an intruder and unwittingly alerts the police to a vicious crime scene next door: a lavish master bedroom where a man lies dead. His wife is bleeding out on the hardwood floor, clinging to life.
The victim, Adam Grant, was a well-known San Francisco prosecutor – a man whose connection to Homicide detective Valerie Hart brings her face-to-face with a life she’s long since left behind. Adam’s career made him an easy target, and forensic evidence points toward an ex-con he put behind bars years ago. But while Adam’s wife and daughter grapple with their tragic loss, Valerie uncovers devastating clues that point in a more ominous direction. Lurking in the shadows of the Grants’ pristine life is a mysterious blond who holds the key to a dangerous past.
As Valerie struggles to forge a new path for herself, the investigation forces her to confront the question: can wee ever really leave our pasts behind?
Sophisticated and stunning, Anything for You is an unforgettable thriller that will grip readers long after turning the last page.
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