Unknown Assailant by Joanne Doucette

Peeling back the psychological curtain of trauma and its devastating impacts, Unknown Assailant by Joanne Doucette is a smart, well-researched, and wildly unpredictable thriller. A keen detective and a no-nonsense psychologist, Beau and Pepper make an electrifying investigative team at the core of this third installment of the Dr. Pepper Hunt Mystery series – their sleuthing savvy is only overshadowed by the undeniable tension that sparks and flashes between them. Pushing past procedural tropes of the genre and diving into thought-provoking narration, Doucette flexes both her storytelling and psychoanalytical skills. Though the narration does far more heavy lifting than the dialogue, which occasionally falls flat, this carefully crafted drama stands out in a genre that often feels saturated with similarity.