I loved a lot of things about this book. - First of all, even though it is the thing that most upsets me in the plot, even more than the creepy serial killer tableaux/messages, I really like that way Dominic’s gambling addiction is written in his POV. It’s very easy to be alternately hopeful that he’ll bounce back at the beginning of the fall and in total despair one chapter later because of the way he’s shown casually gambling at work. At work! - Also the way he started justifying gambling to mix with the crowd at the underground casinos was completely devastating to read. - I somehow feel more grounded when I read Levi’s POV - and I don’t mean just in this book, but in the previous two, as well. It’s like riding in a car and knowing that the driver knows the way or, if they get lost, will act rationally and find a way to get back on track. Not that Levi’s all that rational, sometimes, but he still gives me the feeling that I won’t be emotionally compromised when I read his side of the story. Which might be a bit of a paradox! - One of the things I love about this series is the continuity and the way relationships are built and deepened across various books. I get this feeling more in Levi’s POV than in Dominic’s because of the procedural show vibe you can’t help but feel when you read his scenes in the bullpen or during interrogation/crime scenes. Every little side character that’s introduced managed to have a bit of development and is not just abandoned in the corner. - Hmm, what else can I say? I like the way the settings are described, they have a good balance of descriptions to give a sense of the environment without being too detailed.
