PAY BACK by Theo Baxter

2* Uncomfortable over Angel 'perving' over Marcy. 

This is my first book in the series but I wasn't lost. The storyline was pretty good, with the identity/race/gender of the baddie concealed quite nicely without faux artifice, and the tale for the most worked.

What I didn't like is how these cops didn't seem to mind sharing info, like Angel with his girlfriend that he's probably just stringing along - he admits to himself that he has feelings for Marcy, and when he thinks she's broken up with Frank, his heart skips a beat. Ick. And Marcy shared stuff with her brother. They also talked about questioning one victim's daughter, but never get round to it. The policing felt lax.

Chevenet felt like he was being clumsily set up as a future potential love interest for Marcy. To talk about him, like the female cops did, wasn't OK and wasn't PC. A guy would've been pulled up for it. It wouldn't happen out loud in 2024 UK, but hey, This Is America, so...

The romances were cringe. With respect to the author, his Frank's mindset, his Marcy's mindset and his Angel's mindset were just wrong. There was no passion between the couples, thankfully, just talk of muscles being well used. I think the tale would've worked better without the personal relationships, which just came across as insincere and going through motions. 

Not sure I'd read more by this author.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Inkubator Books for my reading pleasure 

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