Super-interesting book premise: time-traveling serial killer versus his only victim that got away. I generally like time-travel plots in theory, but so many of them seem to start out with an awesome idea, begin to struggle with the conundrums posed by time travel, and finally get so bogged down in trying to work out the rules and details of time travel that the plot drowns (Man in the Empty Suit, I'm looking at you!), but this book manages to avoid that fate.
I also liked how Beukes dealt with the victims. They're only around for a short while, but they're nonetheless fully fledged characters, full of goals and hopes and doubts, which is a bit of a trick to do with any character we see for only a chapter, let alone one we know is not going to survive going in. It just makes their murders all the more senseless and tragic, and I appreciate that their deaths and murder were definitely not glamorized.
And Kirby is great! Smart, snarky, and funny. Her clever banter with Dan is one of the highlights of the book; somehow she's always quick with the witty comeback that eludes most of us until hours after the conversation has ended.
The murders are pretty horrible, so if you've got a weak stomach this may not be the book for you, but it's fast-paced and suspenseful, and I had a tough time putting it down.
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