Neon, by G.S. Locke, is a classic serial killer mystery with a twist. DCI Matt Jackson is reeling from grief. The streets of Birmingham are stalked by a killer whose victims are the centerpieces of his works of neon art. Jackson’s wife was his last victim, and all leads have been dead ends. Hopeless and drowning in sorrow, Jackson hires someone to do what he does not quite have the courage to do: Kill him. A clue found at the eleventh hour before his own arranged murder leads Jackson into an unlikely partnership and sets him on a race to catch a cunning, deadly artist. 

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Jackson is a sympathetic protagonist, and his grief, doubt, and regrets are portrayed with emotional authenticity. Iris, the hit woman who becomes his reluctant partner, is his perfect counterpart. Where he is driven and fueled by the need for vengeance, Iris is a survivor, an emotionally stunted product of her harsh environment, and desperate for what Jackson offers her in return. The writing is taut and streamlined, the plot swiftly paced. The setting is atmospheric, and the Black Country is brought to vivid life on the page.

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Locke’s Neon is compulsively readable, gripping, and engaging. This is an amalgamation of a psychological thriller and a serial killer mystery, filled with intrigue, suspense, and fascinating information about a fringe form of art.

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Highly recommended for fans of serial killer thrillers and unlikely crime-solving partners