Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Book Review: The Fisherman's Lily by Suzanne Spiegoski



When Lily Dietz, an ambitious yet short-tempered Asian-American NYC homicide detective, and longtime partner John Fremont begin to work a unique but gruesome murder case, cryptic clues in the evidence start to link with Lily’s dark and troubling past—one deeply imprinted with many psychological and emotional issues.

Borderline manic-depressive and a self-destructive alcoholic, Lily is strikingly beautiful and spoiled by her younger brother, CJ, a NBA All-Star basketball Knicks player, due to guilt uprooting from their own family history; separations of heart-wrenching losses and disappointments. The hunt for the killer escalates when the detectives discover more than one murder. Someone with cruel and twisted intentions motivated by a taste for sophistication yet also depravity is targeting and brutally mutilating Asian-American women. And somehow, the murderer knows Lily far too well.
Soon the game of cat-and-mouse becomes a thrilling chase from beginning to end, where Lily’s reality and the people in it begin to doubt her, not only as a detective but as a person. Who will be able to save this damaged soul? Or who will be the one to destroy it ?

*Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. *

A woman's body has been found in the park, mutilated, wrapped in a rug. It is Lily's case. She and her partner John are working on this very disturbing case. Is there a serial killer on sight?

Lily works for the police department her entire life. Solving murders is her priority in life and often comes before anything else. Her best friend is a dog named Cuffs and sometimes it seems that the German Shepherd is the only friend she has. From the very first page we can see her relationship with her brother CJ, who plays basketball for the NBA. That relationship is the strongest she has, her brother and his daughter are the only family she has chosen to have. Her love life is a mess, she even involves herself into a sexual relationship with her partner John, knowing that he is married and his wife is her friend and a colleague. No saint at all, Lily is devoted to her work, and this case triggers something familiar, something deeply hidden in the past.

Almost in the same time with finding the first body, we meet the killer. Too soon, according to me. Page after page, we can get into his mind and see how he chooses his victims and what is his final goal. We can see his obsessions and be there when he hurts and kills his victims. They all have one thing in common.

The murder cases are solid and creepy enough, and the main character is a real anti-hero. What bothers me, is the pace of the story. Sometimes goes too fast, sometimes too slow. Sometimes is very detailed, sometimes is skipping months. Also, the killer is introduced very early in the story, the purpose of his murders is revealed too soon, not at the end. But I must say that the end did surprise me. I wasn't expecting that kind of outcome. There is a big plus for the surprise effect, but still not sure how I feel for that kind of ending.

Overall, The Fisherman's Lily is an adrenaline rushed thriller. The characters are Asian-American, but you won't see much of the Asian-American culture. There are moments when your blood freezes in your veins, and others that make you literally burst into tears. The whole story brings mixed emotions. It is an interesting story with serial killer vs. detective and definitely deserves a try. 


My opinion: 3,5 / 5.

Buy "Fisherman's Lily on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Find Suzanne Spiegoski on twitter and facebook

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