Angela Richman, Chouteau County death investigator, finds herself deep in the Missouri woods on a perfect spring day. But there is nothing idyllic about her grim walk - a body has been discovered in a muddy creek, and Detective Jace Budewitz wants Angela on the scene. Terri Gibbons, the popular Forest High track star who went missing eight months ago, has been found strangled. Could a message found in Terri's shoe hold the key to catching her killer? Chouteau Forest is a town of privilege and secrets, where everyone has something to hide . . . Can Angela overcome the many obstacles in her way to see justice served when the Forest's wealthy residents will go to any lengths to prevent the truth being revealed?
The likable Angela and fluid plotting combine for a tidy story. In Death Grip, money can camouflage secrets, but bad behavior can’t be hidden forever. While Chouteau Forest is fictional, Viets captures the spirit of several St. Louis suburbs ... Viets, a St. Louis native [...] continues to show that Angela, a stroke survivor and widow, is motivated by her own loss. It’s easy to root for her growing relationship with Officer Christopher Ferretti and be amazed by the heavy workload she carries.
... unexciting ... Since the murderer’s identity and methods are clear from the beginning, there’s not much suspense along the way to the predictable ending. Viets has done better.
