A Rocking Review of The Mirror Stage by J.J. Stone

Genre: Mystery/ Suspense

Rating: 4 Guitars

Find it on Goodreads

Synopsis

Ada Brandt wants everyone to think she’s normal. A writing professor at a local Seattle college, she personifies the saying “those who can’t, teach” after a few failed attempts at becoming an author led her to the classroom. She owns a chic little house, drives a sporty car, and comes home to her dog after a long day at work. You’d never know she’s the daughter of one of Seattle’s most infamous serial killers — a fact Ada has labored her whole life to bury. 

Then the FBI’s BAU team arrives to investigate a recent murder spree and Ada is strong-armed by the BAU’s bull-headed lead agent James Deacon into helping with the investigation. As Ada and the BAU dive deeper into the case, two things become glaringly apparent: this is not a typical murder case, and catching their suspect is only the beginning of an investigation that will alter the lives of everyone involved. 

The Mirror Stage is the first installment of The Imago Trilogy and is J.J. Stone’s debut novel.

Why It Rocked

I loved how this book came at you from multiple angles. You get to see things from the perspective of various FBI agents, the killer himself and our heroine Ada. I sometimes find this distracting, but the multiple points of view really add to this story. Ada is quite an interesting character. Her father is an infamous serial killer and twenty-five years after she witnessed her father killing her mother, she is asked to be an analyst by the FBI in a series of murders that reach a little too close to Ada's home.  I enjoyed seeing how although she continued to struggle with her past, she is able to provide important insight to the investigation. Even though you know who is behind all of the killings, there is still a sense of mystery as you come to realize that there is more going on. My only complaint and its a little one, it that it ends. It felt like the connections between the characters were just starting to get solidified and just as we become aware of a greater threat, it ends and on a crazy cliffhanger. Since this is supposed to be first in a trilogy, I look forward to more in this series.