I enjoyed A Twist Of The Knife. It is clever, both serious and witty, and is a gripping read. It is the third in a series, but it works very well as a stand-alone book.

On the face of it, the plot sounds familiar and hackneyed, as a former FBI agent becomes involved in a friend's attempts to prove the innocence of a man before he is executed. In fact it felt original and fresh, and it also has important things to say about capital punishment. The plot develops in a credible way and avoids ridiculous "twists," but holds genuine surprises, some of which go very much against what one expects in a story like this.

The story is narrated by Brigid Quinn and it is her voice which makes this such a good book. She is 60 years old and in a stable marriage to a sane, supportive husband and is intelligent, tough, has some ordinary human frailties and is often sharply witty. It's a terrific voice which drives the story very well and also generates a very powerful sense of place in Florida. I thought the first half of the book was exceptionally good; the second half became rather less original in tone and structure; it was still well done, but the climax didn't grip me nearly as much as the first part of the book.

Small reservations aside, I can recommend this as a gripping and entertaining read and I will be looking out for more in the series.

(I received an ARC via Netgalley)