Ansel Packer is a convicted serial killer waiting to be transported to the Death House and his imminent execution … but he has a plan. Packer has the charisma, intelligence and lack of feeling that characterises him as a psychopath. He’s charmed a female prison guard, Shawna to help him try to escape. He’s always had a way with women. The narrative revolves around his relationships and coercion of the women in his life.

Chapters alternate between a countdown of hours before Packer’s execution and narratives focused on vital female characters. The first of those is his mother, Lavender. The story of her marriage and the birth of Ansel and her second baby is one of coercive control. She manages to escape her abusive husband but leaves Ansel and the baby. Saffy is the nickname of Saffron, who comes across Ansel in a foster home when both are preadolescents. Ansel catches the eye of all the girls at Miss Gemma’s home but he chooses to spend time with Saffy. When she surprises him in the woods, she sees another – darker – side to him. Jenny is the girlfriend of Ansel at university. Her twin, Hazel, holds this portion of the narrative, documenting her concerns for Jenny as Ansel’s actions scare her.

Saffy joins the police force when three girls go missing. One of them was her friend, Lila, at Miss Gemma’s home. Her attentions inevitably focus on Ansel, but her superiors have other ideas.

This is much more than a police procedural. The psychological depths plumbed in Packer’s mind as he awaits execution set this novel apart from others in this genre. This is enthralling, chilling, addictive crime writing.

Reviewed by Bob Moore

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Danya works as an author and a literary agent for one reason: she loves books. She loves reading books, she loves editing books, she loves the people who write them. She loves the business of publishing, and she comes to both her writing and agenting careers with a sense of dedicated focus.

She approaches every novel – her own and her clients’ – with a determination to elevate the technical aspects of the story, to edit thoughtfully and carefully until each book shines. At Trellis Literary Management, she works closely alongside Michelle Brower. For more information about her wishlist and the submission process, please visit trellisliterary.com.