Dr. Penelope Hase, a brilliant and alluring FBI criminologist, has been handpicked to lead an investigation into a series of grotesque killings gripping Philadelphia. Labelled the Kabuki Killer, a deranged murderer taunts law enforcement with grisly and bizarre murder scenes—his incapacitated victims made to participate in Japanese theatrical performances while their lives are tragically snuffed out. Hase reluctantly partners with Special Agent Eli Schiele, a womanizing and rough-hewn hothead, whose cocky style threatens to derail the investigation and Hase’s time-tested strategies. Just as Hase begins to close in on the killer, a chain of mysterious happenings makes her question reality and rethink her own role in the Kabuki Killer’s theater of horrors. Join the harrowing journey into the abyss, with a reveal so shocking it leaves even the phenom Penelope Hase speechless.
Lots of red herrings, an unreliable main character, and a weird ending made this novella too confusing to be appreciated.
I liked the in-depth characterization and the description of locations that make you feel like you are there, but in this reviewer’s humble opinion, the author was trying to be too clever for their own good.