Edgar Award nominee Becky Masterman (Fear the Darkness) knows how to open a novel. In the prologue of A Twist of the Knife, FBI rookie Brigid Quinn witnesses her first live execution by electric chair. It's a ghastly scene, but Brigid isn't against the death penalty--she believes some people "simply need to be put down."
Thirty-five years later, when Brigid--now retired--receives news that her elderly father has been hospitalized in Florida, she returns to her hometown after many years away. While there, she reconnects with former colleague Laura Coleman, who saved Brigid's life on a case they worked together.
Laura is now working as an investigator for a criminal defense lawyer who handles appeals. Her current case involves Marcus Creighton, a man on death row for killing his wife and three children. Laura is certain Creighton is innocent, and though Brigid isn't so sure, she agrees to help Laura dig up info that could stay Creighton's execution. But with five days to go, can they do it in time?
In her third outing, Brigid remains an arresting character. She promises "to tell the truth in these stories... even if it makes me look bad." Au contraire--her bluntness and dry sense of humor make her riveting. Her time spent with family allows readers to learn more about her past, with Brigid discovering painful truths that challenge what she thought she knew about her kin. Twist also examines, without judgment, the limitations of the justice system, and how even when good people do what they believe is right, their actions can bring devastating consequences. --Elyse Dinh-McCrillis, blogger at Pop Culture Nerd