4, maybe 4.5
I really did like this, but it was painful for me. It took me a long time to read it because the moments with Liska and her son, Kyle were intense for me. It is incredibly disturbing of course, and while I do not like getting the killer's take on stuff, this wasn't too bad for me.
I wanted to slap the shit out of most of the teenagers. Ugh. Loved Kyle.
I enjoyed the detectives. They are kinda fucked up, but I think to work homicide you have to be a bit off. I like that they weren't some glorious and perfect beings, that their personal lives were kinda fucked and they had flaws and regrets and fears--that made it more real.
This was my first by this author, but I will definitely read more.

Good thriller; this one focuses on Detective Nikki Liska and her family.

It was worth the time to read.

"The 9th Girl" by Tami Hoag is out in print now just awaiting your download and it was so good I would highly recommend it.

Nikki Liska and Sam Kovac, homicide detectives in Minneapolis, are working on the "Doc Holiday" serial killer case when another victim shows up on New Years. It is unclear if the horribly disfigured woman was alive when she fell out of the trunk of a dark sedan into traffic. When the detectives arrive on the scene they're not sure if the now dead young woman is Doc Holiday's ninth victim or did someone else hate her enough to kill her. Before they figure out anything else Liska and Kovac need to identify the body. Who is missing their daughter on New Year's day?

Detective Liska is not only a dedicated homicide detective, she's also a mom and she's having trouble with her older son. The problems she's having at home compound as the case she's working becomes more and more complicated. When one of her son's friends turns up missing Liska battles the need to be in two places at once. When a task force to catch Doc Holiday is formed both detectives are pulled in too many directions and details are being missed. Someone killed their ninth victim, there's a missing sixteen year old girl and Doc Holiday continues to evade capture. Which details are related to one another in this book will shock you.

This is my second time reading this book. I read it when it was published but was too ill at that time to review it. Reading it a second time I was really surprised to find that it was so wonderfully complicated and detailed that it was just as enjoyable the second time around. Even though I almost never re-read books, I found this one so good that it was worth the second read. Liska and Kovac are great together. Although some reviewers said they found Liska's home problems annoying, I actually found them very realistic. The subplot with her son really added a lot to the story line, showing that Liska is more than just a detective, the extra details rounded out her character wonderfully. This is so well worth the reader's time. If you've ever read a Tami Hoag you know she never disappoints. If you haven't indulged then try this one, it's a winner.

4.5⭐️ enjoyed this book, not my first by this author. Liked the storytelling style as it keeps you engaged till the end. Haven’t read all the book series but these books are like standalone don’t need to read previous books to understand what is happening.