A Desperate Place: A McKenna and Riggs novel

LOCAL AUTHOR

Whit McKenna and Katie Riggs are in A Desperate Place. Three bodies have turned up, all with a similar medical condition, but no leads. Whit is a reporter for the local newspaper, returning to work after the loss of her husband while they were on assignment in Afghanistan. She’s still struggling with the trauma of that and her fall from grace as a reporter in LA. She immediately makes friends with Katie, the local medical examiner detective. Katie’s dealing with her own struggles as she recovers from cancer. These two friends will have to work together to solve this case, with more bodies turning up and no visible connection between them. The killer is getting desperate himself, which puts both Riggs and McKenna in danger.

I highly recommend this book if you like police procedurals, strong female leads and are interested in the medical field in any way. It’s very well written and hard to put down. When they arrest someone near the end, you think it’s finished, but ask yourself why are there still so many pages left? The twists just keep on coming. McKenna and Riggs were both strong women in their own ways with their own issues and the author does a great job walking you through how each cope with them. I also enjoyed Panetta’s character and I hope he features more in subsequent McKenna and Riggs novels. The plot is unique and fascinating, while still being realistic and informative. I can’t wait for the next one!