I'm a big fan of the Maeve Kerrigan series by Jane Casey and while Cruel Acts, the eighth installment, isn't my favorite, it's still an engrossing read.  It has some disturbing themes and yet, I couldn't stop turning pages.  The murderer's identity caught me by surprise, which is always good.  My favorite part of the novel and, really all the books in the series, is Maeve herself.  She's a great character—brave, tough, down-to-earth, and passionate about her job.  Watching her relationship with Josh Derwent, her work partner, evolve is always fun.  All in all, then, I found the book compelling, even if it's maybe my least favorite in the series.

(Readalikes:  Other books in the Maeve Kerrigan series, including Left for Dead [novella], The Burning, The Reckoning, The Last Girl, The Stranger You Know, The Kill, After the Fire, Let the Dead Speak, One in Custody [novella], and Love Lies Bleeding [novella])

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