Iconoclast

A writer’s retreat in the Pacific Northwest wouldn’t be the first place you might expect to find a mob hitman; but that’s exactly where one ends up in Laurie Buchanan’s second entry in the Sean McPherson series, Iconoclast.

Her mission? To eliminate a potential witness and threat to the Gambino crime family’s plans for expansion into the area. But while there’s no way for them to see her coming, the team behind Pines & Quill have proved a formidable force before; and they’re not about to let anything happen to the people they care about.

Despite not having read the first book in the series, I didn’t struggle at all with context for this book – Laurie Buchanan provides the perfect balance of information the reader needs, while steering away from going too far and leaving nothing to discover by going back and reading it. Just as well, because I really enjoyed this; it’s a mix of suspense and almost cozy mystery that I haven’t encountered before, and I’m looking forward to diving into more. Pines & Quill is a gorgeous setting, lovingly described in a way that brought it to life in my mind’s eye – and the inclusion of some very enticing meals was the cherry on top.

But if I had to choose one thing that has marked this book apart in my mind, it would be the characters. They’re all individual, complete people, from the visiting authors to the regular characters of the series. The bad guys are satisfyingly villainous; the good guys have the reader rooting for them right from the start. I genuinely care about them – and in this genre, you need to care to build up the stakes.

A very satisfying and suspenseful thriller, Iconoclast continues a series that promises to keep readers guessing. I can’t wait to read more!