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** spoiler alert ** This is a reasonably well-written book and, in places, a true page-turner with a solid premise. That said, ultimately I couldn't get past the book's weaknesses. For one, it's simply implausible that the victims -- homicide detectives, no less -- could be rendered helpless by such innocuous substances as cough syrup (seriously?) combined with hypnosis (of all things)? I had a problem with this, as I did with key character McEvoy's unrealistic involvement with the FBI investigation.

Was anyone else bothered that McEvoy's character felt inconsistent and underdeveloped, that his astute insights didn't match his seeming passivity? For much of the book the guy was shoved around and bland, a dud with little to say -- to the point where I felt ticked off, and never "got" Rachel's interest in him, not remotely. Also: I was nodding off over the trifling details in the conversations among the various characters; the book easily could have been pared back by a third, or so.

This is my first Michael Connelly book, but it doesn't seem like his best effort; sorry, but he didn't care enough (or his editor didn't) and that's unacceptable to me. He writes better than many authors and, as such, I'd read another of his books, but not without consulting with a good number of reviews first.