I love keeping up to date with my writer friends, so when Nathan contacted me to see if I was interested in reviewing Sweet Sixteen Killer, his detective novel. Of course, I said yes, because I also really love mysteries.

Sweet Sixteen Killer is a Mercedes Masterson detective novel and, I hope, the first in the series. The book jumps straight into the action, with Emily being brutally murdered in her room, just after quarrelling with her parents. Around the same time, Mercedes has handed in her resignation – she no longer wants to go after corrupt cops but wants to have her own detective agency. Her first job comes from Emily’s mother, who doesn’t trust that the cops will be able to solve the crime.

I really liked Mercedes as the main character. She’s tough and no-nonsense, more than able to stand up against the many obstacles (i.e. sexist cops) in her way while recruiting allies to help. I also really liked the sprinkles of backstory that we get as we read the book – I’m really interested in her government career now and I hope later books will talk about the mysterious case in her past as well.

While I liked Mercedes and I found the story interesting, I definitely have to give a warning for violence: the murders are brutal and the world is unkind (sexism permeates this city). If you prefer cozy mysteries or lighter things, you may want to skip this book. Things start heavy and they don’t really light up.

All in all, I enjoyed this story. It may be dark, but it’s fast-paced and Mercedes is a tough character, so I ended up finishing this in two sessions. I look forward to reading more about Mercedes!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Featured Image: Photo from Canva