From the arresting first line (“Tomorrow, I’ll be dead”), Špiljak, author of the “culinary noir” collection Add Cyanide to Taste, explores the futility of trying to escape who you are and where you come from, suggesting that the past will always come back to haunt you, making the novel’s title fittingly appropriate. Špiljak writes with persuasive power about the ins and outs of both the criminal world and those who police it, and the narrative is interspersed with piquant details of how things are done, details readers might expect only an insider could divulge, while Antonia training in disguise, tailing, and other tricks of the trade in the novel’s middle makes clear how much work it takes to develop the skills this milieu demands. As striking as the verisimilitude is Špiljak’s prose, which is as poetic as it is fast-paced; plot points are punctuated with philosophical musings that lend the narrative welcome depth and resonance.

There are times when this action-packed novel can seem too frantic, straining reader credulity about how many things can go wrong at any given time. But Špiljak exercises impressive narrative command, carrying readers along the entire way, delivering skillful setpieces of suspense and action that despite their headlong momentum never sacrifice surprise or impact. Lovers of swift-moving crime thrillers will enjoy this book, which packs a punch while delving deep into the human psyche.

Takeaway: Packed with action and thematically rich, this globe-crossing crime thriller stands out.

Great for fans of: Lisa Lutz’s The Passenger, Alex Michaelides’s The Silent Patient.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A