Author: P.M. Steffen
Genre: Mystery
Published on: October 19, 2012 by Lion Dog Press
A grisly murder. A six-year-old eyewitness. A gun from the grave.
The Profiler's Daughter is a psychologically haunting thriller that combines murder mystery, love triangle, and family intrigue in one satisfying page burner.
Sky Stone was born into the wealth and privilege of Boston's oldest Brahmin family but chooses instead to follow in the footsteps of her deceased father, legendary FBI profiler Monk Stone. In the chilly morning hours before the Boston Marathon, when a beautiful university student is found strangled and mutilated, her body left at the base of Heartbreak Hill, Sky returns from self-imposed exile to investigate. Thirty-six hours into the investigation, Sky's world turns upside down when she is fired from the Homicide team. They pin the murder on an innocent man, forcing Sky into a life-threatening game of cat and mouse with the real killer. From the stately mansions of Beacon Hill to the flat scrubland of central Texas, Sky keeps the reader on a razor's edge, culminating in a no-holds-barred shoot-out.
This is one of the best novels I read in 2013. At first glance, I didn't think it would be so good, reminding one not to judge a book by its unremarkable cover. I liked the main character, Skylar Winthrop Stone (a really cool name). She's a forensic psychologist, daughter of legendary FBI profiler Monk Stone, and heiress to the Winthrop fortune. Sky has just returned from a self-imposed exile after a tragedy that happened months ago. She leads the investigation of a college student’s murder, the morning before the Boston Marathon. This crime baffles the police throughout the book.
Skylar, whose youthful looks conceal her real age (she’s 24), already has a doctorate. She also has a variety of other talents, including interviewing and crime scene analysis. Sky is described as having great beauty, especially when she dresses up. She doesn’t have a flock of guys after her, though. That’s not to say men are immune to Sky’s charms. O’Toole and Axelrod (two of Sky’s cop friends) have a small crush on her, but they’re otherwise just friendly. Sky’s also very smart and observant. She obviously inherited her father’s talents. Despite her sophistication, Sky has one little quirk. She’s a bit of a kleptomaniac. Sky even acknowledges this quirk. It’s amusing and harmless. As she’s already rich, Sky obviously doesn’t steal for gain.
The Profiler’s Daughter has one of the most cunning and well-written villains I’ve read about. For those of you who haven’t read the book, I won’t spoil the truth for you. Skylar, however, sets her sights on a particular man early on. She is unwavering, and her almost obsessive certainty has close friends believe that she’s lost her head. That’s not too surprising, due to the emotional trauma Sky experienced. She also suffers from panic attacks, which doesn’t help her credibility.
Despite being so tiny, Sky can defend herself very well, and her quick thinking gets her out of a few tight corners. She was also in a relationship with a cop, Jake Farrell. However, the tragedy Sky experienced months ago made them fall apart. They still love each other, although I’m wondering if they’ll reconcile. Sky appears to have a one-track mind. A lot of her concentration is spent on the murder case. Sky barely spares a thought to romance, despite having three romantic interests. One of them will not be rekindled, though. It’s just an old boyfriend of Sky’s from several years back. The guy, Ellery Templeton, has a minor supporting role.
Jake was a solid character, but he left a bit to be desired. Although he missed Sky a lot, he barely shows how much he loves her. They have a tryst near the start of the book (which I’m doubtful about because it felt like a dream). Whether it happened or not, neither Sky nor Jake mention it again. Jake also becomes extremely jealous when he finds out that Ellery used to be Sky’s boyfriend. It bothers Jake so much that the knowledge partly influences him to make a bad decision concerning Sky. I couldn’t believe what he did. Jake’s also one of the characters who most believes that Sky needs to see a professional. He’s supposed to know her best, as her almost-husband. How could Jake have so little faith in Sky? That was a big disappointment.
Apart from Jake, there’s a secondary love interest. He appears near the end of the book when Sky takes a trip to Texas. His name is Ben Yost, but people call him Butch. He stands out (literally) because of his towering six feet eight inches. That’s so tall, I think Sky would need a ladder if she wanted to kiss him! Apart from Butch’s height, Sky also immediately notices his attractiveness. She describes him as sort of a blonde Henry Cavill. Butch is quite forward, and somewhat charming—he also keeps calling Sky “sweet thing”. Sky and Butch eventually give in to their desire. Their relationship’s status is unknown when the book ends, but Butch told Sky that he would visit her at home.
The Profiler's Daughter is a relatively long novel, at over 600 pages. The events don’t span more than a week, though. And despite the book’s size, none of the scenes felt like fluff. The length was justified. I'm not sure why I waited so long to read this book (I'm guilty of judging it by its cover). It was much better than I expected. The characters are well-written and vibrant, especially Sky. Skylar Winthrop Stone. She’s a great book heroine.
My rating: ★★★★
4 stars - Definitely enjoyed it!
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