Under a Silent Moon, by Elizabeth Haynes

Two women are found dead on the same night, one a clear homicide, the other what seems to be a suicide.   DNA evidence also seems to suggest the cases are linked, beyond the fact that they occurred in close proximity to each other.  As the investigative team gathers evidence, it would seem that the cases are not as open and shut as they initially appeared.  And as the investigation continues, it becomes clear that most everyone has some dirty little secrets that will come to light.

I have been a fan of this author for a couple of years now, ever since I read her very first book.  So it came as no surprise that I really loved this book as well.  What did come as a surprise was how different this was from her previous works.  While the crime and thriller aspects were just as on point as always, this book was rooted in a much darker, sexual place.

One of the dead women, Polly, is very open with her sexuality, almost pansexual in nature.  The message here is clear: a sexually open woman deserves to die.  And this is not the author's message; this is society's message.  In a world where rape culture influences so many daily interactions women endure, this message is always looming on the surface.  One need only to read the daily news to confirm this fact.

I thought the writing was on point, as it always is with this author.  I also liked the unusual format of weaving police paperwork, text messages, and other forms of communication into the story. It kept me on my toes.

Yet another winner by Elizabeth Haynes.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour here.

If you liked this review, please rate it (and others!) as helpful on my Amazon profile. My Amazon Profile