The Shark (Forgotten Files Book 1) by Mary Burton

"The card game is deadly and the targets are young women who are the castoffs of society, those who won’t be missed, or at least that’s the plan. The Shark is determined to capture and kill Virginia State Trooper Riley Tatum after his plan to kill her a decade ago failed, and it is up to Riley to use her wits and her determination to find out what happened to her before she left New Orleans and why she is the target of the deadly card game. When bodies of young women start showing up in Virginia and they all physically resemble Riley, there is no way to deny that she is a target. When Shield Agent Bowman, a former beau who ran out on her years before, is tasked with helping keep her safe, Riley goes from reluctance to acceptance, refusing to be attracted to the man who discarded her. The story is a fast-paced thrill ride with plenty of red herrings and more twists than a West Virginia back road! The details about Riley’s past are slowly and methodically revealed and they are a central part of the whole story. The author did a masterful job of keeping me engaged and reading long into the night in this addictive tale of a victim becoming the stalker. The plot is complex and head-spinning at times while the characters are all dynamic and realistically flawed....."

로맨스 모험소설 또는 추리 서스펜스 소설 등 다양하게 정의할 수 있는 작품이다. street girls, runaway, gamblers, desire, obsession, greedy, drug, second chance, adoption, violence, serial killer, psychopath, attraction, chaser, dog, broken family, new family, cards, cheating 등이 작품을 이해하는데 중요한 단어들인 거 같다. 작가는 '반전'에 상당한 공을 들인 거 같다. 독자들의 민감도에 따라서 예상이 가능한 반전일수도 있겠지만 확실히 흥미로운 이야기 전개다. 대중적인 장르라 그런지 문장이나 표현이 난해하지 않아서 진도가 잘 나가는 작품이다. 'street girls'을 다루기 때문에 내용이 좀 무거운 편이지만 원색적인 묘사나 표현이 별로 없어서 읽을 때 불편함은 적었다. 참고로 Forgotten Files Book은 'The Shark' 'The Dollmaker' 'The Hangman' 등의 3편이다.