Fans of Tess Gerritsen and Gary Braver will recognise the fingerprints of each of these outstanding authors on this cleverly plotted thriller as Choose Me encompasses a great detective story, a story of marriage and betrayal, and a fantastically terrifying example of the domino theory where one decision leads to unimaginable consequences.
Told in a non-linear format, the story opens with an investigation into what appears to be a suicide of a young woman, but Detective Frankie Loomis is not the type of detective that ignores a gut feeling—and her senses are telling her there is more to this story. She is not going to take short-cuts and wrap this case up as a suicide until she is satisfied.
From this point, the story jumps back and forth, before and after this opening moment, but each section of the book is very clear about this time jump, and it is never confusing or difficult to follow. We learn much more about the woman who is suspected to have committed suicide, and we see what was going on in her life and those she interacted with in the last days of her life. These jumps between before and after her death occurred are very cleverly placed to keep the tension high, and each time the shift occurs the reader is let in on yet another twist in this fast-paced mystery.
Readers who need likeable main characters may have a difficult time, as most of the characters in the story (apart from the detectives) would generally not be considered likeable people. They are, however, interesting multi-layered characters which, in my personal opinion, has much more bearing on how much I enjoy a story.
The detectives, while they take a back seat for the majority of the book, are characters I would love to see more of in the future. Their partnership has a very realistic dynamic, and Detective Loomis in particular has a unique perspective on some crimes, as she is raising two teenage daughters herself and this invariably affects her when she has a victim not much older than those daughters.
The mystery itself is exciting and well-paced and full of enough twists to keep the reader guessing throughout. Even with the relatively small cast of characters, Choose Me is so cleverly written that it is never obvious how things are going to turn out.
Choose Me is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of July 1st 2021.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
From New York Times bestseller Tess Gerritsen and acclaimed thriller writer Gary Braver comes a sexy murder mystery about a reckless affair and dangerous secrets.
Taryn Moore is young, beautiful and brilliant…so why would she kill herself? When Detective Frankie Loomis arrives on the scene to investigate the girl’s fatal plunge from her apartment balcony, she knows in her gut there’s more to the story, especially after the autopsy reveals that the college senior was pregnant. It could be reason enough for suicide-or a motive for murder.
To English professor Jack Dorian, Taryn was the ultimate fantasy: intelligent, adoring, and completely off limits. But there was also a dark side to Taryn, a dangerous streak that threatened those she turned her affections to–including Jack. And now that she’s dead, his problems are just beginning.
After Frankie uncovers a trove of sordid secrets, it becomes clear that Jack may know the truth. He is guilty of deception, but is he capable of cold-blooded murder?
