Detective Chief Inspector Louisa Smith leads a murder investigation for the first time in this new series from Elizabeth Haynes (Into the Darkest Corner). The victim, a young woman savagely beaten to death on the property of a known human trafficker, led a promiscuous life that results in a suspect list of extraordinary proportions. But forensic evidence uncovered at the scene points Louisa and her team to another woman, found dead at the bottom of a quarry.
At first glance, the second victim appears to have taken her own life in a fit of drunken remorse; a closer investigation by Louisa's team indicates that may not be the case at all. They'll need to filter through town gossip and uncover secrets, irrevocably changing lives in order to unearth the truth.
Haynes's use of multiple perspectives enhances the tension, even though the culprit is evident long before the official revelation. The various points of view provide the reader with intimate connections to those characters, so while the murderer isn't a surprise, the suspense is built more from the slow revealing of each person's fate.
Additionally, Haynes includes case paperwork throughout the novel. Often overlooked in detective stories--filling out paperwork isn't very thrilling--the official reports and interviews here elicit a sense of authenticity and make the reader feel privy to the entire investigation. Readers sensitive to graphic sexual content may want to skip this one, but fans of dark, psychological suspense should find much to enjoy Under a Silent Moon. --Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts