Review: Thread of Fear

Thread of Fear
Laura Griffin
Romantic Suspense
Glass Sisters/Book 1
Pocket/September 30, 2008

From the back cover ~

SHE SAYS THIS WILL BE HER LAST CASE. A KILLER PLANS TO MAKE SURE IT IS.

Forensic artist Fiona Glass is the best in the business—which is precisely why she’s quitting. Her skill at mining victims’ memories to re-create the faces of sadistic criminals has left her haunted and wary, and only Jack Bowman’s dogged persistence convinces her to help him. The rugged police chief is hunting a serial killer who’s targeting teenage girls. But what seems like a simple assignment is fraught with complications, including a searing attraction to Jack that’s tempting Fiona to let her guard down in potentially dangerous ways.

Jack never intended for Fiona to become so deeply involved in the case—or his life. And now that she’s right in the killer’s crosshairs, the only way to keep her safe is to unravel a small town’s darkest secrets, one terrifying thread at a time…

After reading Ms. Griffin's novel, Untraceable, I wanted to do some backtracking and read some of her previous novels before continuing with the Tracers series. I began with Thread of Fear because the hero of Untraceable is in it and I wanted to read Courtney's book Whisper of Warning but Thread of Fear is Courtney's sister Fiona's book and it comes first in the time line. My OCD wouldn't let me read Courtney's book without reading Fiona's first. Makes sense right? :)

I find the forensic artist to be a fascinating character. Whether they use a sketch book and pencils or a computer program, the ability to pull those hidden details out of the subconscious of the witness and bring it to life is a rare gift. Fiona has this gift - she's very good with traumatized children and women. The job has its rewards when the suspect is found or the missing person is recovered but it also takes its toll on Fiona. She has nightmares and has been threatened by the criminals she has helped arrest. She does have a day job, an art professor at the community college. She's trying to "retire" from being a forensic artist but because she is one of the best, she keeps getting pulled back into the work.

Jack Bowman is a small town police chief with a murder victim that is eerily similar to a case from years ago. The only difference is that victim lived. He's determined to find the murderer before it happens again. He's given Fiona's name by a mutual friend with the Austin PD and basically wears her down until she agrees to talk to his witness. Jack was a mix of small town police and big city cop. He had that way about him that made the locals trust him but he also had the experience of a big city cop that enabled him to look at the bigger picture.

Fiona is under a lot of stress and her sister Courtney only adds to it. Courtney moves into Fiona's loft apartment in Austin and sticks her nose into Fiona's business, namely the men in her life. Courtney acts like a trampy party girl but there's definitely something deeper going on with her. Even with her hectic life, Fiona still finds time to fit romancing in. Fiona and Jack were attracted to each other but they had the murder case to solve, Jack's major baggage concerning the case and Fiona constantly pulling away from Jack. Fiona needed to make up her mind about her work and then stick with her decision. She wants to concentrate on her art and not get involved with Jack but does just the opposite. Jack and Fiona were okay as a couple. I felt there was too much going on with the police work for them to really get to know each other and fall in love.

Overall I liked the story. The mystery of the potential serial killer and learning about the work of forensic artists. I think the romance could have been stronger but I did like Courtney and still want to read her book so that's always a good thing.

Rating: B

Books in this series ~

Thread of Fear
Whisper of Warning