I started this book with a bit of trepidation. It was advertised as a "breakthrough first novel", self-published on Kindle only and already on some best seller lists. But some of the reviews warned that it went into some unpleasant details. As if the subject -- the abuse and murder of young children -- were not unpleasant enough.
I was intrigued enough to give it a try, and I was not disappointed. It is surprisingly good for a first novel. The plot is intricate and well developed. The suspense was immediate and nearly unrelenting. I finished the book in less than three days. I did figure out the culprits by about halfway through the book -- partly. But there were a number of true surprises and even shocks.
The secondary characters were well drawn and likeable, but I think the leading characters could have used just a bit more development, especially with respect to their relationship.
There were also a few developments that I thought were left unexplained and I felt the lack. For instance, the profile done by the teenager was supposedly more accurate and compelling than the one done by the pro. I didn't have any trouble believing that, but we got very few details of her profile. That makes me wonder how well Desforges really knows profiling. There were a few other developments necessary to the plot that we were expected to accept without much explanation. but, again, I felt cheated.
I did not find the level of detail offensive, but readers who are sensitive to that kind of thing should beware. However, I think it should be said that the sexual detail did not have to do directly with the child abuse.
On the whole, I would reacommend this book. Fairly quick read, very suspenseful, fairly well written.