Before reading, if the English translation is awkward, I would appreciate it if you could correct it.

I was so excited to read Peter Swanson’s new book.

No matter how thick a crime novel is, I love how smoothly it reads once I start.

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The story begins with the murder of George Nixon, which occurs while Alan Peralta is away on a business trip.

Martha looks down from the window and watches her husband, who has just returned from his trip, practicing his smile. She begins to feel doubtful about the gentle, loving man she thought she knew.

My interest truly soared when Martha called Lily. If you’ve read The Kind Worth Killing and The Kind Worth Saving, Lily is a character you can’t help but love.

The two were friends in the past. When Martha was a graduate student and slowly falling apart because of a terrible boyfriend (Ethan Saltz), it was Lily who saved her. And this time again, Martha turns to Lily for advice and help.

For Martha’s sake, Lily tails Alan and digs into the case.

Lily also seeks out Henry Kimball once more. (Henry Kimball appears in the two books mentioned above as well.)

Although the novel starts with George Nixon’s murder, we learn that others were killed before that incident. The story unfolds as the culprit behind all of these crimes is gradually uncovered.

If there’s one defining trait of Lily, it’s that she doesn’t simply solve cases—she dissects them and finishes them in her own way. But that’s who Lily has always been, so it’s hardly surprising.

Lily is the most normal among those who are not normal.

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Martha, cursed by love—Martha, consumed by love.
Lily, especially favored by the author—Lily, impossible not to love.
Henry, a welcome face again—Henry, who still knows only Lily.
Ethan Saltz, who believed he was the best—Ethan Saltz, who cared only about himself.
Alan Peralta, ambiguous until the very end—Alan Peralta, still unclear even in the ending.