by Nalini Singh
Part of Psy-Changeling, book 8
First published 2010
Max Shannon works as one of New York Enforcement's top detectives. His natural mental shield blocks Psy invasions, but this protection limits his career prospects in their controlled system. He receives an unexpected assignment to investigate murders targeting advisors close to a Psy Councilor. The case pairs him with Sophia Russo, a Justice-Psy who extracts memories from criminals so dangerous that experienced officers avoid contact with them. Sophia serves as Max's official connection to the Psy hierarchy. She discovers an unexpected attraction to this human partner while her emotionally frozen nature begins to crack. Her mind carries the accumulated nightmares and corruption of countless twisted individuals. This mental burden pushes her toward a breaking point where madness beckons. The darkness whispers that she should abandon legal procedures and deliver justice through her own violent methods. Max and Sophia must solve the murders while she battles the temptation to become killer rather than investigator.
Genres: romance, mystery, crime, action
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, opposites-attract
Setting: New York
348 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley
Content warnings: mental-illness, violence