If a Face Could Kill

In this newest addition to the Brigid Quinn series, the intrepid detective faces down a new crop of criminals, not to mention her old coterie of personal demons. As the title suggests, the question of how faces betray character is studied here. Beauty is skin deep, but ugly is to the bone?A feature I appreciated in this novel is the use of social media dialog to propel the plot. Although this book depicts a Tucson neighborhood digital bulletin board, I laughed at how similar are the roles I witness in the neighborhood social platform in my non-Tucson community. Can you find yourself amid the digital clamor?This book will be most easily digested if you have read other books on the Brigid Quinn series. But if you haven't, start here. Then go back and take in the rest.

A dark, gripping thriller that hits on guilt, redemption, and buried secrets. When a neighbor is brutally murdered, suspicion falls on a recently paroled woman, Nikki, and former FBI agent Brigid Quinn is determined to prove the truth, even if it destroys her.

Bridget Quinn is adjusting to retirement but it isn’t easy - especially with her unique personality and experiences. When she's reunited with Nikki, a woman she helped convict for murdering her husband, the story gets more complicated. Nikki lives in a group home with other, newly released felons and the neighborhood seems determined to have the home closed down. This leads to a spiraling series of events.The characters are interesting and varied. The issues of some of these individuals range from the effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome to sociopathic characteristics. This creates an interesting combination of personalities and their often unusual reactions to events.Meanwhile, the story packs a punch. It can be intense, with several scenes that are quite descriptive and this could possibly be disturbing for some readers.I would recommend that the books in this series be read in the order they’re written. I found myself trying to fill in the blanks or draw conclusions based on partial information. Nevertheless, If a Face Could Kill was a compelling book. NetGalley provided an an advance reader copy.