As much as I really like the author's characters and plots, there comes a point when it reaches complete idiocy. I think I found that point. This book (although better than the mystery shopper series) could've been decent if the foreshadowing and maladies were toned down. Every chapter ends with some cliche about how things were going to go wrong. The main character has too much baggage and none of it unique. Terrible tragedy as a kid? Check. Dysfunctional relationship? Check. Crappy job with an unbearable boss and annoying co-workers? Check. Hunky cop? Check. It's like a chicklit whodunit checklist. Instead of being something readers can relate to, it feels contrived and annoying. I figured out the murderer and the motive within the first 100 pages, but kept reading to see how the rest of it turned out. Overall, not a terrible book (God knows I've read worse) but not great either. Just ok.