Publisher's Weekly Review
Sophia Clare, the narrator of Blaque's uneven debut set in Deep River, Wash., considers herself a cliché: "The college-educated woman who quit her job as a respected project manager to be a stay-at-home mom." But both she and her husband, Robert, were found to be infertile after her unfaithful spouse shared an STD with her. With motherhood not a prospect, Sophia has thrown herself into volunteer charity work. Though she's reconciled herself to Robert's infidelities, she becomes increasingly concerned that he may be responsible for the murders of three women, poisoned by a fentanyl variant developed by Trimble Laboratories, Robert's company. Sophia's suspicions are shared by the investigating officer, Det. Adella Cruz, who has linked Robert to the victims, one of whom was a Trimble employee. Finally deciding that Robert is "a self-important asshole," but not a murderer, Sophia investigates herself, developing a close relationship with Adella in the process. Smooth prose compensates only in part for the familiar "did-he-do-it?" plot, and Adella being a knockout who inherited millions from her movie star mother doesn't enhance plausibility. Hopefully, Blaque will do better next time. Agent: Chris Bucci, Aevitas Creative. (Sept.)
Booklist Review
Sophia Claire admits that her philandering husband, Robert, has a lot to answer for, but she insists he is not a murderer. The police aren't so sure. The only link connecting several female murder victims is that they were all Robert's lovers. Robert heads up ANEXA, a pharmaceutical research company that has been exploring the positive uses of the synthetic opioid fentanyl. All of the victims were administered a fatal dose of the drug orally. Aware that every step she takes may lead to her own demise, Sophia searches for the truth, which takes her into some of the darker corners of her husband's insatiable need for both sex and power. Blaque credits dark romance and high-profile true crime as her inspirations, and Sophia's first-person narrative is as terse as it is seductive and sinister. An erotic thriller that turns on a very thin dime, this promising debut is full of surprises and is sure to satisfy fans of Liane Moriarty and Louise Candlish.
Library Journal Review
DEBUT In Blaque's edgy entry into the domestic suspense sphere, Sophia Claire seems to have the perfect life as wife of the CEO of a large pharmaceutical research company. Robert Claire is rich and handsome, and together they have financial and social clout in their Deep River, WA, community. Despite their fairy-tale marriage, though, Robert can't stop cheating. Then young women start dying in Deep River, and each one has a link to Rob. In the face of questioning by attractive detective Adella Cruz, Sophia starts to crumble and is drawn into the secrets of Rob's sexual life while she tries to stage-manage what's happening, even while dealing with the return of an unstable man with whom she once had her own affair. VERDICT Readers will find 50 shades of domestic suspense in this sexy thriller focused on unreliable narrators and cheating spouses. Regular readers of the genre will likely have the twist figured out long before the ending, but they will enjoy the journey. Recommended for readers of Tarryn Fisher or Shari Lapena.--Melanie Kindrachuk
