Part of what makes the Faces of Evil series such a great read is its superbly written characters, both primary and secondary. The heroine is a bit unusual for romantic suspense: a forty-something former profiler whose FBI career went up in flames thanks to a heinous serial killer (The Player) and who’s returned to the hometown (and man) she thought she’d permanently left behind 20 years ago to head up a new unit in the police department. I’ll admit that, not being anywhere near 40, I was initially sceptical of being able to connect with or relate to heroine Jess Harris. But Jess totally kicks ass—she puts the victims first and doesn’t care about stepping on anyone’s toes or employing unorthodox methods to close her cases, she carries a gun and can take care of herself (despite hero Dan Burnett’s burning desire to keep her safe), she’s got the balls to goad a serial killer to come after her to stop him, and she’s got a great sense of humour. I want to be like her when I grow up! In addition, she has pockets of vulnerability, body image and wealth issues, and a burning need to prove herself and stand on her own that makes her a thoroughly realistic and relatable character, regardless of age.
Hero Daniel Burnett, Birmingham’s Chief of Police, is also a delightful character. As the only son of one of Birmingham’s most influential families, he’s always been surrounded by power and wealth, but the only thing he’s ever really wanted—and which has become abundantly clear after three failed marriages—is Jess, the girl from the wrong side of the tracks. In an interesting role reversal, he’s the one that’s all home and hearth and looking for commitment whilst Jess shies away from all that, but he’s still undeniably alpha and has a protective streak a mile wide—especially when it comes to Jess and her penchant for attracting killers. He and Jess were high school & college sweethearts but parted ways when she headed off to Quantico and he returned home to Birmingham 20 years ago, so the reunited lovers/second chance trope is also in play. Dan’s decided that he’s not letting Jess go again, so he does everything in his power to get her to stay and start a relationship with him (again). Adding a layer of complexity to their relationship is the fact that, as Chief of Police, he’s now her boss and she’s trying to prove herself to her colleagues in a tight-knit department. Watching them attempt to navigate and separate their professional and personal lives is great fun, and that balancing act really comes to a head in RUTHLESS, which has a stronger focus on the romance than the previous instalments.
In addition to two great leads, Ms. Webb has created a great cast of secondary characters that makes returning to this world again and again a truly worthwhile experience. From the members of Jess’s BPD team to her sister to her intriguing landlord to the women in Birmingham’s jet-set connected to Dan with whom she’s become reluctant friends, every character is extremely well developed and three-dimensional. You’ll find yourself reading the Faces of Evil books not just for the hero and heroine and the development of their relationship, but also for the deepening connections between all the other characters. That girl’s night with Jess, the associate medical examiner, and the city’s top investigative reporter? Equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. And, of course, being a suspense/thriller series, there’s the villains. Ms. Webb does an excellent job crafting a unique case in each book that showcases the depths of the evil and depravity humanity is capable of, masterfully layering in the cat-and-mouse game between Jess and The Player to up the suspense ante and tie all the books together. RUTHLESS is the best example of this so far: a chilling cold case involving the disappearance of little girls over three decades shares almost equal billing with The Player, who’s decided to up the ante in his game with Jess by abducting three women and daring her to find them before he kills one (or all). What’s great about the non-Player suspense plot is that it’s fraught with perfectly paced tension and will keep you guessing until the end. Also, in the Man in the Moon case in RUTHLESS, Ms. Webb creates a villain with some shred of humanity that is not easy to dismiss as categorically evil and inspires a wealth of emotions in us readers. My only gripe with the series is the time frame: only one month has elapsed between books 1 and 6… no one realistically solves six high-profile cases AND tangles with a notorious obsessed serial killer in that short a time! I get that the short time frame adds to the sense of urgency and imminent danger, but I don’t think having the cases more spread out would detract from that and would make the pace of the development of some relationships more realistic.
With RUTHLESS, Debra Webb proves that she’s at the top of the romantic thriller/romantic suspense game and getting better with each book. I highly recommend the Faces of Evil series to anyone who’s a fan of thrillers and/or dark romantic suspense, and I can’t wait to see what she brings to the table with the next two (three with the prequel holiday novella) entries later this year. I’m looking forward to more of The Player now that he’s fully entered the fray!
**ARC provided by NetGalley**
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