Review: One Small Sacrifice by Hilary Davidson

Title: One Small Sacrifice

Author: Hilary Davidson

Series: Shadows of New York, #1

Published: June 2019, Thomas & Mercer

Format: Paperback, 366 pages

Source: Author

Summary:

An apparent suicide. A mysterious disappearance. Did one man get away with murder—twice?

NYPD
detective Sheryn Sterling has had her eye on Alex Traynor ever since
his friend Cori fell to her death under suspicious circumstances a year
ago. Cori’s death was ruled a suicide, but Sheryn thinks Alex—a wartime
photojournalist suffering from PTSD—got away with murder.

When
Alex’s fiancée, Emily, a talented and beloved local doctor, suddenly
goes missing, Sheryn suspects that Alex is again at the center of a
sticky case. Sheryn dislikes loose ends, and Cori’s death had way too
many of them.

But as Sheryn starts pulling at the threads in this
web, her whole theory unravels. Everyone involved remembers the night
Cori died differently—and the truth about her death could be the key to
solving Emily’s disappearance.

My thoughts:  I had the distinct pleasure of meeting and hanging out with Hilary Davidson at Bouchercon this past Fall and it was so lovely getting to spend some time with her. I had read one of her books prior to this point, Blood Always Tells, which I found to be quite a multi-layered, dark, twisted story, and I’ve been wanting to read more from this author. I was delighted when she reached out after the convention asking if I wanted to read the books in her latest series…of course I said yes!!!

I’m a big fan of police procedurals, that’s no big surprise, but I love that Hilary Davidson blends in a touch of psychological suspense so that you are easily hooked. I immediately became captivated with the way this story was told as we are given little teasers all the way through, compelling us to keep reading – this isn’t a book you will want to put down as you might be afraid to miss something.

Our main character, NYPD Detective Sheryn Sterling is a very clever character, but she is not without her flaws and I love that. I like a lead character that is real and relatable and that is Sheryn. I was also quite taken with Alex Traynor. I found his past and the way Hilary handled his PTSD to be quite fascinating. I liked that at times, I wasn’t quite sure whether I could trust Alex…was he reliable or not? And at times, I felt that way about Sheryn – she really believes Alex had something to do with a murder and can’t seem to let it go. Is she so focused on that that it’s clouding her judgement? 

This was a great start to a new series and I cannot wait to read the next one. I had my guesses as to where this one was headed and never ended up getting there, but I’m totally fine with that. I’m excited to see what case Detective Sheryn Sterling finds herself involved in next!

Books in this series: 

1. One Small Sacrifice
2. Don’t Look Down – due out February 11th