Lazy Saturday Review: #Hysteria by L.J. Ross @LJRoss_author

I received an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank the publisher.

From Lipsyy : I started doing ‘lazy Saturday reviews’ as a way of getting reviews done in just 30 mins, and they proved to be quite popular. They are quick and snappy, and concentrate less on the plot (or content) and writing and more on my overall feelings about said book. They generally end up being a bit of a rant. My fave!

Ps: My lazy reviews are more often good ones than rants, haha!

Title: Hysteria
Author: L.J. Ross
Release date: December 2019
Format: ebook
Source: I received a copy from the author

In a beautiful world, murder is always ugly…

Recently returned from his last case in Ireland, elite forensic psychologist and criminal profiler Dr Alexander Gregory receives a call from the French police that he can’t ignore. It’s Paris fashion week and some of the world’s most beautiful women are turning up dead, their faces slashed in a series of frenzied attacks while the world’s press looks on.

Amidst the carnage, one victim has survived but she’s too traumatised to talk. Without her help, the police are powerless to stop the killer before he strikes again – can Gregory unlock the secrets of her mind, before it’s too late?

Murder and mystery are peppered with dark humour in this fast-paced thriller set amidst the spectacular Parisian landscape.

The more books by L.J. Ross I read, the more impressed I become. The author has a knack for building such strong worlds inhabited by more real than real characters, rich of diverse backgrounds and unique paths. The Alexander Gregory series is becoming a lovely favourite of mine.

I couldn’t wait to meet our famous doctor again in Hysteria. Because I had agreed to read the book without reading the blurb (yes, I trust Louise this much) I had no idea I was embarking for a trip to my home country. A dear character walking near the Seine and eating baguettes? What a lovely cocktail of my old and new lives.

Paris’ Fashion Week. The usual frenzy that accompanies it. L.J. Ross depicts a dreamy Paris, with its crows, its wealth, but she doesn’t sell postcard cities. She takes your hand and shows you the other Paris. The everyday not-so-glamorous side of France’s capital. And dead bodies with mutilated faces. The contrasts between the city’s different sides associated by the differences between the French police and the UK system played a part in this story, at times reinforcing the parallels, at times widening the gaps.

Dr Gregory is proving to be more fascinating with each book. His expertise, although essential, never cuts him from the world and his peers. He finds himself spiraling with everyone else in a mysterious and somehow tragic investigation.

Intriguing doesn’t really describe the plot. Models have it all, don’t they? It turns out they don’t. Working with the only survivor of the mutilation attacks, our main character treads on difficult waters, and I was completely gripped on the model’s story. You don’t get to be able to work with survivors much in murder cases! How to get to the bottom of such a case with a traumatised model and no concrete leads? The impact of those attacks on women was real and deeper than physical.

L.J. Ross peels our skins to reveal the vulnerable and fragile parts of ourselves. Gregory doesn’t escape this. Throughout the book, everyone is scrutinized, and truths appear.

This series is rendered even more captivating as results of previous events and how they affect Dr Gregory spice up the stories. I can’t wait to know where we’ll be heading next!

Hysteria is a strong second installment in a delicious and clever series!

You can find the book here

If you’re interested in learning more about the series, read my review of Imposter