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The importance of upbringing has never been more apparent than in the author's portrayal of Larry Oliver and Jeff Moore. While the former hailed from an abusive family with an alcoholic father, the latter watched his father beat his mother. Both were byproducts of incredibly dysfunctional families that ultimately paved the path for the two to begin their career in crime. What started as petty crimes, from shoplifting to purse snatching, quickly progressed to dealing and ultimately becoming bona fide drug suppliers. Unsurprisingly, the novel's two main characters come together in a prison weight room, hatching a plot for when they get out.
Estes provides a deeper glimpse into the underbelly of the prison system, particularly the dreaded survival of the fittest phenomena that impels prisoners to either present themselves as a dominant and formidable presence or be at the mercy of other prisoners. Upon being released, the duo's partnership as drug suppliers is thriving. When they encounter Christy "CC" Copeland, the duo becomes a trio. With brains to accompany her stunning beauty, CC immediately joins Larry and Jeff, at the expense of her pimp, Uptown Brown.
As with Larry and Jeff, the author does a commendable job of providing backstory into CC's life. Like her new partners, CC began with stealing at age fourteen before realizing her powers of persuasion through sexual appeal in her late teens, leading her to work at strip clubs and a life of prostitution. Perhaps what is most surprising in her character arc is her gentle and love-filled childhood, a stark contrast to Larry and Jeff's.
Throughout the story, Estes attempts to take the readers through the minds of killers, trying to demonstrate their logical progression and thoughts before taking a life. In many ways, Larry and Jeff are beyond ruthless, but digging deeper, it becomes apparent that for them, it's all business. Unfortunately, in business there is collateral damage. In this case, the collateral damage ends up being those individuals associated with Uptown Brown, CC's former pimp. A gripe and words exchanged between Brown and Larry later evolve into a vengeance-fueled kill mission.
Stylistically, the author does an effective job of moving the plot along. However, audiences would undoubtedly relish more character development, particularly a deeper exploration of the characters' motives through the numerous action scenes. While the lead characters are of the mindset that they fly above the law, it is a chance encounter with Officer Moreland Lee that turns this novel into a race against time, a wild goose chase in search for Larry, Jeff, and the kidnapped officer whose life hangs in the balance.
As a crime saga, the novel educates the readers on the laws of the criminal. For instance, informants are given a merciful death. Meanwhile, others who play a greater role in releasing Larry and Jeff's information to the police are brutally tortured in a litany of excruciating manners, including but not limited to testicle crushing. During these torture scenes, the imagery is startling, arresting the readers' attention until the deed has been done.
When the Seattle Police Homicide team gets involved, it becomes apparent that Larry, Jeff, and CC are in way above their heads, but the irony that they don't recognize this is palpable. In small pockets, especially for CC, the characters' humanity comes out. But with their impending encounter with the law, they resume the fear-of-no-one mentality that got them where they were in the first place. Overall, Estes' deep appreciation for plot development is on display throughout and is sure to keep action aficionados on their toes.