They watch the streets, scouring faces…
…To catch a killer in the shadows
When a civilian disappears, Detective Finn Cavanaugh catches the case. His partner-in-catching-crime? Brainy and beautiful insurance investigator Nik Kowalski, whose method of pursuing people clashes with Finn's own -- and whose charms prove all too alluring. As their missing-person case heats up, Nik and Finn race to find the killer haunting their waking nightmares.
Good entry in the Cavanaugh series. Finn is a grand-nephew of Seamus Cavanaugh, on the Murdoch Cavanaugh side of the family. Like most of the Cavanaughs, Finn is a member of the Aurora PD. When Seamus is injured during a carjacking, Finn is the detective assigned to the case. There isn't much to go on, just a partial fingerprint, but Finn is determined to catch the culprit.
Nik is an insurance investigator who took a leave of absence to search for a friend's missing daughter. She doesn't make much progress until the missing girl's fingerprint shows up in a carjacking case. Now she is determined to join forces with Finn, whether he likes it or not.
Finn is a tough, no-nonsense cop with a laser-like focus. He always gives his cases 100% of his attention, but this case is personal for him. He makes it clear to Nik that he is not interested in her help - until he discovers he needs it after all. He isn't happy about it, and it shows. Their methods are very different. Finn is direct and not very tactful in his questioning. Nik is more of a people person, and her softer methods turn out to be very successful.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching the relationship between Finn and Nik develop while they worked together. Finn initially seems impervious to Nik's lighter personality, but eventually, she gets under his skin. It was fun to see her ignore his attitude and keep chipping away at his aloofness. When the robbery/missing person case turns into a hunt for a serial killer, their teamwork becomes crucial to solving the case. I loved the interactions between them, as sparks of attraction flew, and they finally quit fighting it. As they grew closer, there was also a need to support each other. I loved seeing Nik be there for Finn when he had to deliver bad news, and when Finn did the same for her at the end. I ached for Nik when she believed their relationship was over and loved Finn's unique declaration of his feelings.
The suspense of the story was terrific. It started intensely with Seamus as the victim that got the ball rolling, and maintained the intensity throughout the investigation. The discovery of blood in the trunk of Seamus's car showed that there was more to the crime than a mere carjacking. I could feel Finn and Nik's frustration as the bodies piled up, and clues were hard to find. Nik's different perspective provided some useful leads, and Finn quickly began to appreciate her presence. One crucial connection provided the information needed to catch the killer. I was glued to the pages during the final confrontation, anxious to see how it would go. I was happy to see that I was correct in my suspicions and loved how it went down.
As always with a Cavanaugh book, I loved the importance
of family. The outpouring of support at the hospital was heartwarming, and also
funny as the new ER head nurse had her first experience with them ("Oh,
lord, they warned me about this."). I ached for Seamus as what happened to
him affected his confidence in himself, leaving his family members struggling
to help him. I loved how it was an outsider that found the key. There are so
many family members now that they can't all make cameos in the story, but there
are still some. Valri's computer skills play a big part, and as CSI, Sean makes
multiple appearances. As always, one of Andrew's parties is a key in bringing a
new person into the fold, and Nik was no exception.
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