Mithout Mercy

     Without Mercy by Ava Strong is an FBI crime-thriller with themes of overcoming addiction and trauma.

     Without Mercy lies solidly outside my habitual reading, so there are certain themes and concepts I will have enjoyed more in my reading than more experienced readers might. That being said, I think Without Mercy lands one of the most important elements in a FBI Thriller, and that is its antagonist/criminal. The clarity of his aesthetic, and the brutality of his murders, as well as the psychology motivating him create an engagingly tactile and thematic serial killer.

    Dakota functions well as the protagonist; the violence she engages in has the right feel of weight behind it (both in the punches and in the concept of weight/strength difference) paired with competence, while her ability to read people provides both an interesting and dynamic way to expand scenes and progress the mystery without relying on Sherlock-levels of logical leaps. Her battle with alcohol addiction is well-paced and helps ground her into a character that feels a bit more gritty and real, as well as being well-justified in the plot and the moments where it materializes. She has good chemistry with her partner and has enough flaws and mistakes to keep her interesting.

    The pacing and plotting are solid, with the investigation being a relatively quick read but not feeling rushed. The climax and graduating tension are well structured, allowing for a good race-against-time finish sharpened by a fun risk. 

     In the end, Without Mercy is a solid, but probably fairly standard FBI crime thriller.