Author: L.J. Ross
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: February 3, 2026
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I was pretty sure I'd cracked this one early on. There's something particularly humbling about confidently pointing at a suspect in your mind, only to have the author pull the rug out completely. LJ Ross got me good with this moody Irish thriller, and I loved being wrong.
Dr. Alexander Gregory is running from his past—a profiling case gone sideways that left him holding the bag. Now he's keeping his head down at a mental security hospital, building walls between himself and the rest of humanity. But when a small town murder drags him back into investigation mode, those walls start crumbling. What really got under my skin was watching Gregory battle his own demons through increasingly vivid nightmares, all while wrestling with this crushing sense that he's a fraud. The book doesn't just tell us he feels like an imposter—it lets us feel it with him.
The pacing starts off deliberately, perhaps a bit dry, but this measured approach serves the story well, allowing readers to sink into the Irish setting and get inside Gregory's analytical mind. Ross expertly builds tension, and the momentum picks up considerably as the investigation deepens. The revelation of not one but two imposters in the story adds layers of complexity.
This is psychological suspense that trusts its readers to think while keeping us entertained. Sometimes the best mysteries are the ones that make you feel a little foolish for not seeing what was right there all along. Ross has created a character with tremendous potential for future installments, and I'm already eager to see where Gregory's journey takes him next.
A big thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
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