I did enjoy it, but I'm not hooked on the series. ( )

Who is killing the staff on the Herald and why. This is for Maggie Gardiner, a forensic expert, and policeman Jack Renner to determine. I hadn't read the previous book but I don't think it is necessary to do so.
In quite a few places the book bored me - the long explanations of the death of printed newspapers and their working. It would have been a lot tighter story without it and a definite three stars.
A NetGalley Book ( )

Author's guest post at my blog:
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2020/02/foodfic-please-welcome-lisa-black.html

The second book in the Gardiner and Renner series. Maggie Gardiner is a forensic investigator with the Cleveland Police department. Jack Renner is a detective. Jack also is a serial killer, a vigilante killer who takes the law into his own hands when bad guys go unpunished. Maggie knows Jack's secret, but because he saved her life, they have an uneasy truce.

When a copy editor at the Cleveland Herald newspaper is killed, Maggie and Jack both become involved in the case. When more newspaper employees turn up dead, they realize they have another serial killer on their hands. But what is his motive?

I have read the first book in the series [b:That Darkness|26025628|That Darkness (Gardiner and Renner, #1)|Lisa Black|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438630732s/26025628.jpg|45949121] and really enjoyed it. This one was quite good too. The mystery is intriguing and not too easy to solve. There is much talk about the decline of newspapers in this country, as everything moves to a digital format. The newspapermen in the story love their jobs and are sad by the current state of things. The reader gets a real education on this topic.

It seems like there is going to be another book in the series, as there was talk by other detectives about the "vigilante" killer, who is really Jack. I hope this series continues, because I really like it. It is fun, and enjoyable, and the book held my interest the whole way through.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After reading this, I can definitely say that reading the first book will be an asset in understanding and connecting with the characters in this novel. It was quite difficult in the beginning for me to keep all of the names straight and understand the relationships between the different characters mentioned. Eventually, the story took over and I got a hang of it all, but I never felt like I understood or connected with Maggie, Jack, or any other character in the novel.

That being said, this novel was certainly unique, and it is obvious that the author went to a lot of trouble in order to create a realistic setting. I learned a lot about the newspaper industry (maybe, a bit too much at times!) and it gave the story itself some character. The style of the writing and the way the characters acted reminded me of something from Law and Order or any other crime show; you've got a logical process by which murders are investigated, and all of the clues come together to form a cohesive picture. I quite enjoyed the story and the way it was structured! However, I will admit that it was a bit dry at places and I had to push myself at times not to lose interest.

Overall, this book was a good read with a strong plot. However, the characters lacked personality and the in-depth writing style, while creating a rich setting, can be hard to get through. I would recommend this novel for anyone looking for a solid detective story, as it is sure to please fans of this genre. ( )