Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

This is the final book of a trilogy. This can be read as a stand alone but one might miss some little subtexts if the first two books were not read. In this one, Tim gets a call from a friend back in Millhaven. His friend's wife has been murdered and it looks like she is a victim of the Blue Rose murderer which we explored in the first book of this trilogy.

This was a terrific conclusion to this trilogy. I would classify this novel as a murder mystery but with more depth. Sure, there is the journey to discover the murderer and the various red herrings as we inch closer to the reveal. The aspect that separates this mystery is the layer upon layer that is slowly peeled back throughout this book. These layers span years and various locations. I have said before that Peter Straub is a master of the slow burn and once again he proves it in this book. While reading this book you might be reading something mundane or something that doesn't seem to have anything to do with the actual story before you realize that everything has a purpose and relevant. This is not a light hearted book and this book requires the reader to pay attention. It is well worth paying attention as we get twist after twist which kept me wondering the whole time about the mystery.

I believe this book is the best one of the trilogy with all of them being enjoyable. Once again, Straub does a wonderful job with grabbing the reader's hand and leading them down a path that enthralls them. I love how he does it too as his books don't start off with a bang. He slowly enthralls you and before you know it you cannot tear yourself away from the book. That is what happened to me during this one.