"Imagine the scuttlebutt."
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advance copy of Scream City in exchange for an honest review.
Imagine living your entire life in the shadow of a serial killer's legacy ... especially when that serial killer was your grandfather. That's the burden Alice carries as she runs a quirky bookstore housed in what was once his piano shop. Meanwhile, retired detective Rex is trying to rebuild his life after an unimaginable family tragedy. When women begin turning up dead in murders that echo the crimes of decades past, Alice and Rex find themselves searching for the truth while their beloved Cream City neighborhood fights to survive against an aggressive developer.
This is an atmospheric, character-driven crime novel with several twists that genuinely caught me by surprise. I thought I had things figured out more than once, only to discover I was completely wrong. The mystery is well constructed, and I enjoyed trying to untangle who was behind the copycat murders and why. Was someone trying to drive down property values? Seeking revenge? Chasing money? The possibilities kept changing as the story unfolded.
The characters were the heart of the novel for me. I felt especially sorry for Alice, whose entire identity has been shaped by crimes she had absolutely nothing to do with. Watching her navigate the assumptions people make about her because of her family history was heartbreaking and frustrating. At the same time, she has an endearing eccentricity, punctuating her conversations with the phrase, "Imagine the scuttlebutt," whenever she and Rex begin piecing together another possibility. It's a small character detail, but one that made her feel distinct and memorable. Rex was equally compelling. The tragedy involving his son is almost unimaginable, and I admired his determination to keep moving forward despite carrying that burden every day. I also loved the slow-building chemistry between Alice and Rex. It's clear the connection has been there for a long time, and I found myself rooting for them to finally make it work.
The reason this settled at four stars instead of five is that it never quite felt like a thriller to me. I was invested in the mystery and the characters, but I never experienced that overwhelming urgency to keep reading "just one more chapter." The pacing is more deliberate, allowing the atmosphere and relationships to take center stage rather than nonstop suspense.
Content warnings should include violence against women, serial murder, discussions of past murders, grief, trauma, and death of a child.
If you enjoy character-driven mysteries, police procedurals, and crime fiction with memorable protagonists, emotional depth, and surprising twists, Scream City is well worth picking up. Readers looking for relentless, edge-of-your-seat thriller pacing may find it slower than expected, but mystery fans will find plenty to enjoy.
