The Magician Killer by Diane Merrill Wigginton

A macabre and suspenseful thriller that uncovers the pain of permanent scars, The Magician Killer by Diane Merrill Wigginton is a sprawling police procedural tied together with a riveting personal drama.

Years after narrowly escaping the clutches of a murderous maniac, Special Agent Sam Stevens – a prodigious investigative profiler – finds herself begrudgingly hunting that same twisted killer through her home state of Alaska. Teaming up with the charming Agent Nicholas McElroy and his four-legged partner, the trio connect the dots of more than a dozen missing waitresses who have seemingly vanished without a trace. Haunted by the memory of her own attempted murder, Sam’s defensive walls begin to come down, just as the elusive sadist sets his sights on finishing the job he started a decade ago.

Exploring the most sinister sides of human nature, this gritty novel highlights the lasting wounds of abuse and the often crippling impacts of gendered violence, which is handled gracefully, but could potentially be triggering. The subjects of psychological profiling, sociopathy, and serial killers are well-researched, giving the prose an immersive and effortless quality, despite the intensity of the premise, while the slow-burning attraction between Sam and Nick is patiently teased to perfection. The slow drip of hard-won clues, complementary characters, red herrings, and foreshadowed horror makes it hard to put this novel down, and the twist-filled finale delivers a satisfying and cathartic release.

A minor critical note is the dialogue can sometimes feel unnatural or stilted, but quite simply, this is thriller writing at its best, boasting a brilliant investigator who continually defies traditional tropes for female protagonists, and sets an inspiring example of transcending trauma.