Local crime setting with a serial killer premise; of abuse, trauma and the prolonged psycho mess that turned into an addiction. I followed Inspector Aly and her partner, Inspector Raj from CID Bukit Aman in their quest to hunt for the killer who has murdered several young women with horrid tortures and left their bodies in a cryptic manner. Lightly tense yet I loved how it was so exhilaratingly told with a detailed backstory and compelling investigative procedural. From KL to the tea plantations of Cameron Highlands and the quiet sleepy town of Teluk Intan— a chase of secrets from the past with a peek to Aly’s personal struggles and emotional chaos in between.

Few red herrings, twisty yet easily foreseen— bit nervous on the ending but I liked the whole execution and its crisp psycho madness following the killer’s dynamics and characterization; of how a trigger from a rejection could make one being the most vile

(Thank you Penguin Books SEA for the gifted review copy!)