There could not have been a better chosen title for this book by Charlie Donlea.
The main storyline involves a former police officer turned ER doctor. He is invited to return to criminal investigations by request of the newly chosen Governor of Wisconsin.
His daughter, Callie Jones, vanished about ten years ago. Her case went cold. Her remains were never found. Now that he is in power, he wants a re-investigation with fresh eyes from a younger generation.
Main character, Ethan Hall, had a perfect record before he left the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigations. He was in charges of crimes against children. He hesitates to come back.
Hall has plenty on his mind in the ER. On top of that, he is scheduled to attend the parole hearing for his father’s murderer. Years ago, Officer Henry Hall was murdered in cold blood by serial killer Francis Bernard. Bernard has been denied parole on several occasions, not in the least because of Ethan’s statements.
Officer Henry Hall was involved in the investigation of a serial killer who attacked women, tortured them, and branded a black heart on their left breast before killing them. As Officer Hall went to interview Bernard as a person of interest, he was shot in the face.
The story that follows is good, fast paced, and well plotted. There are some weak points though.
Throughout the story, it is often not clear from whose point of view we see the story unfold. You will find that you have to guess again. That is the book’s strength and weakness.
Ethan Hall knows how to be cautious yet at times you wonder whether he has forgotten everything he learned as a police officer. He is quick to trust a new patient. He does not just give him a ride home; he goes inside the unfamiliar building. Later, he trusts this person’s intelligence gathering skills on a crucial piece of evidence in the Callie Jones case without having done any background checking. I understand Ethan did not want or could not reveal how he got that piece of evidence. However, there had to be someone from the old days who he could trust to help examine that piece. I would never have left it with a stranger.
One character is introduced late in the book. I think the story would have been stronger without her and her deception. If you read this book, you know who I am talking about. What bothers me is that with the shifting points of view, her background remains muddy.
Another twist comes when a plotter did not realize that their conspiracy might backfire. Well, guess again.
Throughout the renewed investigation into Callie’s disappearance, we meet an interesting cast of characters who are all connected to each other. In what way is for you to discover but pay attention.
The character of Ethan Hall is well developed. His trauma of losing a father at a young age and in such a manner, have shaped who he is today. The ending is foreshadowed yet will still hit you hard.
Despite some critique, I enjoyed reading Guess Again. It is my first Charlie Donlea book but I will now be on the lookout for his works when I go to the bookstore. If you enjoy trying to figure out if there could be just one more layer or twist to a story, this book is for you.
Note: I received an advance uncorrected proof from Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review. My other book reviews are here.