The first book of this forensic mystery series, of which I’ve already read the second. Since the second book is very contiguous, I already knew the outcome of this book. But it was well-written enough that it still felt suspenseful to me. The dialogue in the scenes between Jess and Brockton was really enjoyable.

Jess’s mixture of scholarly erudition and quirky irreverence always caught me by surprise, like topspin on a serve in tennis or Ping-Pong.