This, for me, was better than book one in the series. I liked the fact that we stick with Jazz and see how he copes with being the son of an infamous serial killer, but I think focusing on those close to him allowed more of an insight into Jazz’s psyche. At times, Connie and Howie do some stuff that I can’t imagine anyone in their right mind would consider, but they help us gain a more rounded impression of Jasper.
In this thrilling novel, we find out about a serial killer causing chaos on the streets of New York. I know it’s highly unlikely – but it’s possible to overlook this stretching of the truth – but Jazz gets asked by the FBI for his opinions on what has been taking place. What follows is pure heart-in-mouth territory. Not necessarily credible, but when you’re so keen to find out that crucial detail you can overlook quite a lot!
As we journey deeper into the mind of Billy Dent, there’s a dreadful sense of worlds colliding. We watch a dangerous game play out in front of us, and as Jasper and his friends get further drawn into it there is a horrible sense of the inevitable about what we are reading. The twists and turns in this kept me enthralled, and there are hints that the final part in the trilogy will get close to the bone.
The main thing that I found hard to take with this novel was the final revelation about Jazz’s family, and the uncertainty about the situations that our three young protagonists find themselves in at the close of the novel. If I’d been reading this as it was published, and had to wait for the final part, I think there would have been much teeth gnashing and wailing.