I’ve enjoyed Thomas Perry’s work for many years. The Jane Whitehead novels are some of my all-time favorites so I was anxious to listen to this new novel, which is not part of a series.

One of the themes in Perry’s novels seems to be identity, that is his characters are not always who or what they seem to be. In this novel, an accomplished and respected investigator, Phil Kramer, is assassinated on a suburban street, leaving his wife Emily with no money in their shared bank account and questions about who he really was. The widow is also an investigator, though she has not been actively involved with their business for years. She uses her skills to begin to look at her husband’s past and questions their marriage and the man she had loved and depended on. Meanwhile, the assassin has been told to shoot her as well. He has questions of his own about who her husband was and how he can get a bigger payoff.

Each of the characters has his or her own agenda and reasons for wanting to know more about Phil Kramer. The secrets hidden from his wife and colleagues raise even more questions about his true identity and put Emily in danger.

The story is complex and thrilling. Michael Kramer reads it clearly, with respect for the drama that is inherent in the story. No one will be able to anticipate the twists of this one.