THE CUTTING STONE by Sarah Hilary

4* Best to reread book 1, as I was lost in thus at the start. Methinks there'll be a book 3, from this one's ending.

So, first and foremost, I didn't like Laurie, the DCI, in book 1, and she wasn't much nicer here, but she did seem to be trying to help with her FIL with dementia, though he was a git. BUT, she didn't deserve the betrayal at the end. No one does. In my book, no pun intended, and in hers, you don't come back from that. Nuh uh. And that the other party still had her love, saddened me. What a secret to out. 

Back to the tale - as good as book 1, but a little confusing too, as Sammie appears and disappears, and Laurie's dead sister's ghost, Isabel, appears, too. Or, at least Joe thought she did, Sammie did, and I did, but at the end, I couldn't fathom if it was his PTSD from book 1 manifesting itself. 

The tale twists and turns and the baddie/s' reveals are kind of whodathunk. The motivations felt realistic, and there was another death to muddy the waters, although that person's killer gets away with, I think. I don't see it being picked up and pursued in book 3.

Joe has a potential love interest here, with dates in their future, time and job permitting. How will that tie in with Sammie, who he's told he loves? What's in book 3 for Sammie? I can't see a way that they can be together unless Joe dies. 

What was saddening was the prejudice and 'low-key hate' that the locals had for him, based on child-him's admission that he and Sammie were fighting and distracted the driver, hence causing the crash. But, Laurie's opened up the cold case from 17 years ago. I can't understand how she's seemingly found some physical evidence of a potential unsub at the crash location, but maybe more will be revealed in the next (final?) book?

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Harvill, for my reading pleasure. 

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