(reviewed by JD Jung)
1979 San Francisco – A serial killer, referred to as “Night Candy”, has the city on edge. They are killing prostitutes and there are no leads. SFPD Inspector Owens has been working on the case , but when he himself is arrested for murdering his wife, justice does not prevail.
Enter our protagonist, unlicensed private investigator Colleen Hayes who, as a friend of Owens, believes he is innocent and is determined to clear his name and get him out of jail. She has also befriended some of the street sex workers and wants to protect them. The problem is that Hayes is on parole after serving over nine years for killing her husband. Since she cannot carry a gun, most of her cases are catching cheating spouses in the act.
Although the book follows the standard who-dun-it genre, where the PI has managed to accumulate a lot of enemies in law enforcement, it still manages to deliver an enjoyable reading experience. There are a lot of twists, and the characters are well-developed. The author manages to incorporate the gritty side of San Francisco as an effective backdrop to the story. The pacing is brisk, ensuring that the story moves along at an engaging tempo, and the writing style is descriptive yet concise, painting a vivid picture without unnecessary embellishments.
Night Candy is the fifth installment in the Colleen Hayes mystery series; however, it is the only one I have read. This proves that it can be read as a stand-alone novel.
Although I figured the story out before the conclusion, the journey to get there was enjoyable. Fans of crime fiction will enjoy this story of murder, mystery, and personal conflict.
