Reviewed By Kailey New
As a self-proclaimed armchair detective, I enjoy diving into mysteries and attempting to piece together the clues that will solve the case. I recently read The Intrusionsby Stav Sherez which was an enticing novel that had my investigative wheels constantly turning. It was as if I was gathering clues alongside the detectives. DI Carrigan faces some backlash over a previous unconventional arrest while DS Miller struggles with issues in her personal life. Both characters struggle with personal obstacles while trying to solve a new mystery. However, the new mystery happens to also have challenges for the sleuthing pair to overcome. No murder mystery is the same, but the case of Anna Becker throws Carrigan and Miller into the unfamiliar waters of the dark web.
How much privacy can one maintain while using an electronic device? Technology is constantly advancing and so is cyber-crime. Geneva Miller decides to trust her instincts when a disoriented teenager stumbles into the station. Under the influence of a suspicious concoction of drugs, Madison tells Miller that she believes her friend Anna was kidnapped. Miller can’t get the girl’s story out of her mind and turns to Jack Carrigan for help. Carrigan’s every move is being watched, due to his last rule-breaking arrest methods, and doesn’t want to take the case. Miller decides to investigate on her own hoping some form of proof will convince Carrigan to start an investigation. With limited clues that don’t seem to correlate, Miller and Carrigan begin to retrace Anna’s disappearance. What they find is a murder scene that confuses the experts and makes even the most experienced of officers, queasy. A trail of clues and hunches lead to a world where women are unknowingly watched through their webcams and sold to viewers like a collectible.
True crime stories normally don’t get to me, but since reading this third edition of the Carrigan and Miller series, I have found myself debating on covering up my laptop camera. The book is like a puzzle and each page is a puzzle piece contributing to the completed final reveal. I was worried that by reading the third book first that I wouldn’t understand what was going on or the relationship between the characters. However, I was thoroughly pleased that the third book works as a stand-alone story. Stav Sherez includes enough hints and subtle explanations to events that occurred in previous books, that the reader can understand what happened and how it affects the events in the third book.
Just like the Anna Becker case, the lives of Carrigan and Miller are not black and white. The uncontrollable force of nature that is life is the biggest mystery of all. Even with their years of training and investigative skills, the duo has a hard time understanding the events unfolding in their life. Carrigan is dealing with his mother’s illness when a certain profiler comes to the station, reminding him of all the hardships of his marriage. Miller is also experiencing marital conflicts as she is fighting for what she should get from the divorce. The stress brings her to give in to an old habit. When things start taking a turn for the better, the pair are met with another punch to the gut (quite literally for one of them).
This case is not a typical local disappearance. Similar to the vast expanse of the world wide web, Anna Becker is just one victim in a scheme that spreads across the globe. When flipping through old missing person files, Carrigan discovers a case with similarities to Anna’s disappearance. After a shocking revelation with the case of Katrina Eliot, Carrigan discovers the unknown subject they have been chasing got his start years ago and on the opposite side of the globe.
Carrigan and Miller are introduced to many people throughout the book. My suspicion bounced between multiple characters as I narrowed down my suspect list. I managed to figure out who the culprit was, but only a few pages before the actual reveal. The Intrusionshas plenty of twists, turns, and dead ends to hold a reader’s attention and curiosity until the very last sentence. The ending may or may not hint at a possible fourth book. If there is not another addition to the series, the ending of The Intrusions I can accept as a last hurrah. However, if the story is continued, I would predict the drama to be more centered on Carrigan and Miller as Miller attempts to help Carrigan escape his latest predicament.
I would highly recommend Stav Sherez’s book The Intrusions to any of my fellow armchair detectives or anyone looking for a new puzzle to solve. It is very hard to put the book down once you start reading. With plenty of twists and suspension, there is never a dull moment. Carrigan and Miller are a duo worth following.
