Five strangers forge an unlikely alliance to uncover the identity of the infamous Point Roberts Slayer.
Rating: 4/5
Five strangers forge an unlikely alliance to uncover the identity of the infamous Point Roberts Slayer.
On a peculiar peninsula in Washington State, the small town of Point Roberts exists in the shadow of the fifteen people who were murdered here. Surrounded by water and a giant wall that spans its border with Canada, Point Roberts has been cut off from the rest of the world every February for the past twenty-seven years in an attempt to stop a brutal serial killer from striking again. Because the murders took place exclusively during February three years in a row, closing down the town seemed like the only way to stop the slayings. And so far . . . it has worked.
Except the decades-old cold case remains unsolved, and the residents of Point Roberts are beginning to question if there's an ulterior motive behind the mayor's enforced lockdowns. After a brazen seventeen-year-old orphan named Liza moves to town, a new February begins. At first, she knows nothing of the murders, but that quickly changes when she finds a mysterious book titled The Fifteen—a book that shares shocking details on the killings.
Determined to discover the identity of the Point Roberts Slayer, Liza teams up with four other misfits who all hold secrets and have personal connections to the victims. These five strangers will have to work together to uncover the truth, if only they can stay out of the murderer's destructive path so they don't become victims themselves.
I received an ARC from the author in return for an honest review. Thank you so much! I truly enjoyed reading this one! This book comes out on February 1, 2021, check out Rigby's website to find where you can preorder a copy!
Going into this all I really knew about it was that it was placed in a town in Washington State and that it was a mystery thriller where 5 strangers get together to solve a murder case. But in fact, it’s not just a murder it’s actually a string of murder cases. In the 1980s, a serial killer had killed what appear to be random selections of victims only in the month of February. The Point Roberts Slayer as they were named, killed 5 people in three consecutive years. A total of 15 victims, after the 5th victim of the third year, the mayor of the town decided to close off the town from the rest of the world.
As Point Roberts is a town separated from the rest of Washington State, this is a real town by the way. Point Roberts sits on a peninsula right next to the Canadian border. In order to get to the rest of Washington State, you had to travel into Canada then back into Washington or take a boat or ferry. Just imagine being there during 2020. Yikes.
Anyways, as I mentioned in the book, the mayor closed off the ability for anyone to leave or enter Point Roberts during the month of February. Becoming known as “The town that skipped February.” During the latest year’s closing, 5 strangers connect in unique ways and work together in hopes of finally solving the case and understanding what happened.
From the start of the book, I couldn’t help but get strong Goonies vibes. I think it’s mainly due to the fact the first main character we meet is described as wearing a yellow raincoat. Plus, this takes place in a Pacific Northwest small town, as The Goonies takes place in Astoria, Oregon. But instead of friends like in The Goonies, it’s strangers. And instead of finding treasure, they’re looking for a killer. It’s honestly mainly the atmosphere of the town, the way it’s described felt very goonie like to me.
From the start of the book, I couldn’t help but get strong Goonies vibes. I think it’s mainly due to the fact the first main character we meet is described as wearing a yellow raincoat.
Going off the atmosphere, I truly loved where this was set. Most of the time when it comes to fiction books, if the story takes place in a small town, that small town is often a fictional place. Unless it’s a big city like Seattle, New York, Los Angeles whatever, the town is often a made-up place. This is not always the case, but I’ve definitely noticed this is usually the case. So learning that this town was not in fact fictional was just amazing!
Though, I’m sure it helps that I live in Washington and have also seen Astoria. I’ve not been to Point Roberts, unfortunately, and this is the time first I’ve ever heard of it. If it weren’t for the circumstances of the world, I totally would I have taken a day trip there and taken my review picture there! Instead, you get to see a different but I’m sure similar view and it's also got Point R. for the name, this picture was taken at Point Ruston in Tacoma, WA. Side Note ~ Would you believe I took this picture the same day I took the picture I used for my review of The Girl in the Mirror?
The book flows really well, had me captivated from page one! I wanted to know who the killer was and why they did it. Throughout the entire book, there were numerous red herrings to throw you off. Every chapter it seemed I was changing my theory. By the time I finally learned who the killer truly was I was completely shocked and at the same time scolding myself for not seeing it sooner. It felt like a “duh” moment for me. But even as the killer was finally revealed, then why wasn’t explained yet, and slowly we were explained why it all happened. It was painful but at the same time I just couldn’t put it down.
The book flows really well, had me captivated from page one! I wanted to know who the killer was and why they did it.
Our five main characters were so great to follow. All wildly different with each having a different lifestyle and experiences. They all added a unique story to the mix as they worked together. It was a joy to learn about all their stories and grow together as friends.
Overall, I truly enjoyed reading this one! Especially being my first Washington based novel. I loved that. I will say for this being a Mystery Thriller, it’s definitely more of a mystery than it is a thriller. Not necessarily a bad thing, just keep that in mind! If you enjoy murder mysteries and small-town thrillers, you’ll definitely enjoy this one!
This book comes out on February 1, 2021, check out Rigby's website to find where you can preorder a copy!
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