And as more murders surface, and it becomes clear that DI Henley's team has a copycat killer on their hands, it almost becomes too much for her to bear. That's not to say Anjelica is perfect, or always makes decisions I agree with - some of her choices were downright cringeworthy - but she is doing the best she can in a world that feels like it's conspiring against her, and I really empathized with her predicament. It's almost painfully real, as you get a peek at Henley's raw, unfiltered thoughts and emotions, and it made me empathize with her almost immediately. It's messy, it's difficult, and it's entirely relatable at a time when parents (especially mothers) are being forced to choose between their jobs and their kids. Matheson introduces her in a chaotic fashion, as Anjelica is arguing with her husband, Rob, about her job - he's trying to force her to choose between her profession and her family, and Anjelica just wants to go to work. I was invested in Anjelica's story from the very beginning.

When she gets a call that there's been another murder that looks suspiciously like the Jigsaw Man's work, she knows it's time for her to return to active duty.īook Reviews Britain's MI5 Spy Agency Proves More Comic Than Tragic In 'Slough House' Anjelica has been on desk duty since, and though she's recovered from her physical injury, she hasn't come close to working through her mental trauma. The premise of Matheson's debut involves the titular serial killer, the Jigsaw Man, whom DI Henley put behind bars - but not after he stabbed her, seriously wounding her. It adds an additional layer of complexity to an already well-written and engaging novel. They wonder why she's chosen the job she has, and what it might say about her as a person.

As Henley tries to do her job, investigating serial murders that hit a little too close to home, she's constantly reminded that her community doesn't trust her profession or her colleagues. Henley's identity certainly isn't the focus of The Jigsaw Man, but it permeates the novel. Why should I read this first in a series, as opposed to the many others that have come and gone? Nadine Matheson, a criminal defense lawyer based in London, answers that question with her main character in her debut The Jigsaw Man: Detective Inspector Anjelica Henley, a Black woman whose position is highly mistrusted by her family and larger community.

Police procedurals are a tried-and-true genre, so whenever a new series comes along, I always want to know what sets it apart.

The jigsaw man by nadine matheson