Susan F. (scoutmomskf) - , reviewed on 6/6/2021 + 2620 more book reviews

This book picks up where the first book, The Setup, left off. There is a new serial killer in town in that book, one that mimics a killer from twenty years earlier. Known as "The Player," he was never caught, a fact that haunts retired detective Quinn, the lead in that case. Detective Jake McAllister leads the task force on this case, and Kyra Chase is a victims' advocate assigned to the task force. Their rocky beginning made things interesting, with sparks of attraction simmering under the antagonism. Though The Decoy can be read as a stand-alone, I recommend reading The Setup first.

At the end of the first book, the serial killer meets his fate, but another copycat strikes before the task force can celebrate. The similarities to the original and the first copycat cause the team to wonder if there is a link between them. I could feel the team's frustration as clues were few and far between. With each new murder, the pressure intensified. I loved watching the painstaking work to find something that would lead them to the killer. I cheered for the little piece of tape, and again when modern technology gave them another part of the puzzle. It was interesting to see how the killer gave himself away. I did feel that the final confrontation, while somewhat intense, was a little anti-climactic. There are still unanswered questions, and I don't think anyone is ready to call the case solved.

In the first book, Jake and Kyra first had to learn to work together and deal with the attraction simmering between them. Both of them have trust issues. Jake's stem from his wife's betrayal, making him wary of anyone who keeps secrets. Kyra's life is nothing but secrets. She is fiercely independent, and letting down her guard doesn't come easily. When she receives disturbing messages, rather than share them with Jake, she investigates on her own. She partially believes they have nothing to do with the case but also doesn't want information revealed to change the way he looks at her.

I ached for Jake, who wanted to get to know Kyra better but kept running up against her secretiveness. I thought he was incredibly patient and understanding. There was also some physical frustration between them, as circumstances seemed determined to interrupt at awkward times. I loved when Quinn helped Kyra realize that she wasn't helping anything by keeping Jake in the dark. I felt her nervousness when she finally came clean. I liked seeing the advancing of their relationship, but I suspect there will still be some bumps in their road to happy ever after.

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