Synopsis

When the body of a man is found crucified at the top of Mount Judd, AIDE Lock – the world’s first AI Detective – and DCS Kat Frank are thrust into the spotlight as they are given their first live case.

But with the discovery of another man’s body – also crucified – it appears that their killer is only just getting started. With the police warning local men to be vigilant, the Future Policing Unit is thrust into a hostile media frenzy as they desperately search for connections between the victims. But time is running out for them to join the dots and prevent another death.

Review

When a debut is so well received, authors (and readers) get nervous about their second book, especially when it’s a follow-up in a series. Thankfully, Jo Callaghan has nothing to worry about. Leave No Trace is just as good – if not better – than In the Blink of an Eye.

This time, we see the relationship – for want of a better phrase – between Kat and Lock deepening. Lock is still leading from the head, but the more he learns and understands of human nature, the more Kat starts to question how she sees him. He goes from ‘it’ to ‘he’, which also allows the author to discuss the theme of identity in a very clever way. Towards the end, Lock is watching Christmas films and this is surprisingly heartwarming, as he struggles to understand why they affect humans so much (and for the record, the Muppet Christmas Carol is superior to all other versions). I for one did not expect to be so emotional over an AI Detective, which just shows the exceptional quality of Jo’s writing.

The story itself is gripping, with the sudden role reversal of men being told to stay vigilant, met with scorn and anger throughout the county. There are several suspicious characters, and it took me a while to figure out the perpetrator as I was so wrapped up in the sub stories of Kat, Lock and the team. This is so much more than a crime novel, as we also get an insight into human nature and how we deal with various situations; Kat and Lock continue with their struggle to find a balance working together, but Kat is also dealing with empty nest syndrome, which increases her frustrations with Lock failing to look at things in non-literal terms.

The ending is intense and there are so many potential victims and close calls! This is also where Lock realises his limitations and somehow, Jo makes this quite an emotional journey for readers as we sympathise with what is effectively a computer.

No doubt we will see some of the secondary characters develop in the next book, which I am already desperate to read.

Thanks to the author, Simon & Schuster and the Likely Suspects for my proof copy. Opinions my own.

Other books by Jo Callaghan: In the Blink of an Eye