2.5 rounded up.

I initially picked up this book, because it had such labels as "crime," "thriller," and "mystery." While the story did have those elements, they weren't as prominent as I expected.

It started out with establishing a dark and gritty atmosphere that caused me to be hopeful for a slight noir feel, as a body is discovered and being investigated, and we learn the possibility of a serial killer roaming around in the underground environment of drug addicts and sex workers. But then, it's as if the mystery becomes a mere B-story in the overall plot.

At the core, this story is much more about the sisters than it is about a crime mystery. It explores the concept of how siblings can drift in different directions in life while there is still an undeniable bond between them. It also explores such concepts as addiction and the patterns it creates, sometimes hereditary ones. Which is fine in and of itself. It's portrayed in a fairly realistic way. I just wish there was more of a balance between the crime case and the personal issues of the characters involved.

The writing itself is not bad. It's solid enough to be manageable, but maybe a little bit straightforward and dry, with little to no metaphors or imagery. The various elements suffered a little bit because of this; the suspense portions weren't all that suspenseful, nor were the emotional parts very captivating.

Basically, the book was okay, very "safe", but less impactful than I had hoped for.