I had not read any of Ms. Elston’s earlier books, but I loved this one! It’s rare for me to find a layered mystery/thriller where the plot is as tight and complex as this one. The characters are engaging and the relationships complex and subject to changing perceptions. I even got past my general dislike of the first person present narration (including in flashbacks) because it made sense in this story. I charged through it, turning pages in anticipation of what was going to happen all the way to the end. Very well done.

The narrator of the story is Evie, who is an agent employed by a shadowy figure known as Mr. Smith. Evie (not her real name) was recruited after she demonstrated skill and cunning in her own criminal pursuits as a teenager. Now, eight years later, she is a valued operative in a wide-ranging organization that handles “jobs” for powerful and rich people No matter what it is, Mr. Smith can make it happen, for a price. Evie is sent on various jobs (including in flashbacks to past jobs throughout the book as we learn about her past) and will do anything (really, anything) to accomplish the tasks set out by Mr. Smith, for which she is handsomely paid.

The new job, at the beginning of the book, is to get close to Ryan, a financial planner and part-time shady black market trucking company manager. Evie is not clear about what exactly the ultimate goal is for the job, but that is par for the course when doing work for Mr. Smith. She induces Ryan to become her boyfriend and moves in with him. They are a happy couple, but both have deep secrets.

Then, things start to go off the rails. We, as readers, are fed small bits of the whole story, through the real time events and through Evie’s flashbacks, each of which involves a different alias and false identity. We start to understand what a strained relationship Evie has with Mr. Smith, and we try to figure out what the ultimate point of the Ryan job is. Then, a woman shows up in town – with Evie’s real name and real identity. Who is she? Did Mr. Smith send her? Why would he do that? And the already fast-moving story jumps to a much quicker pace as the plot complications multiply and the backstory explodes and then careens like a runaway train toward the climax and conclusion. All along the way, we feel empathy for Evie and wonder whether what she has going with Ryan is all just a job, or if there is more there.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There is one small plot hole that never really makes sense, but overall it’s a complex and twisted plot that all comes together in the end in a very satisfying way. The writing is clean, the dialogue makes sense, and the story never ceases to be interesting.

A very well done thriller and highly recommended.