The Next Accident by Lisa Gardner

Rainie Connor just got licenced to be a private investigator. An ex-cop with a violent and chequered past, Rainie knows it is time to move on, but detective work and more broadly, the law, are the only things she has ever known. Enter Special Agent Pierce Quincy, Rainie's one time lover and constant guiding light, he is a man deeply haunted by his elder daughter Amanda's death, the result, we are told, of a drink driving accident.

When Quincy's ex-wife is suddenly murdered, horrifyingly and brutally, the killer leaves her body in such a way that Quincy himself is under suspicion for her death. He's very clever you see, this killer and seems to know Quincy better than he knows himself.

As the circle begins to tighten, connecting the death of his beloved Amanda to that of his ex-wife's becomes Quincy's raison d'être, all the while doing everything he can to protect the life of his precious remaining daughter yet at the same time knowingly placing Rainie directly in the path of the killer. Quincy is torn in two and about to go off the rails. How could he live with himself if Rainie becomes The Next Accident?

Lisa Gardner is a skilled writer indeed. With unnoticeable speed, the reader is soon embroiled in her writhing plot lines and for me, the comforting familiarity of the characters (for this is their third outing in Gardner's novels - she has since published their fourth in October 2006 in the shape of Gone - helps the tension to build to a gratifying crescendo. Ultimately, Gardner practically has you hiding behind the couch as the killer seeks to perpetrate one final, intimate act of vengeance on Quincy's surviving daughter.

Along with The Killing Hour and The Third Victim I recommend The Next Accident as compelling reading if you enjoy this genre of novel. I would also suggest you read the likes of Karin Slaughter's Skin Privilege or Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child or maybe you could take a look at Whistleblower by Tess Gerritsen. If you have previously read one or more of these titles, Lisa Gardner is an act you might like to catch up on.

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You can read more book reviews or buy The Next Accident by Lisa Gardner at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Next Accident by Lisa Gardner at Amazon.com.

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