J.T. Siemens: To Those Who Killed Me

Sloane Donovan discovers the body of her friend Geri Harp in her car behind a Vancouver country club where Donovan works. Without much conscious thought, she pockets the suicide note.

A disgraced former police officer Donovan has too much on her emotional plate. She’s off her meds and drinking and compulsive running have taken over her life.

She knows enough though, that her friend wasn’t suicidal. Along with other reasons, Harp was going to meet her for lunch in two days – she wanted Donovan’s advice about something.

Geri Harp ran a women’s shelter in Vancouver’s east-end. Over the years it helped many and had expanded into a success story. When Donovan goes under-cover to check on things, the results are less than stellar.

I’ll leave the outline there because I want to get to the writing. While, To Those Who Killed Me, emphasizes the thin membrane between wealth and ruin, this book has serious emotional weight well beyond the whodunit.

It’s harsh, high-octane noir with a standout, deeply flawed heroine and a strong sense of place. This is an excellent debut by J.T. Siemens.

If gritty, character-driven crime fiction is your jam then you won’t mind going to some very dark places – it’s a riveting, rewarding ride. Highly Recommended.