In Jeffery Deaver’s latest thriller, he weaves a tale of music, superstardom and the dangers faced by those who seem to have it all. Released on June 12, XO is Deaver’s 29th novel, and the third featuring Special Agent Kathryn Dance.
Set in Fresno, California, XO tells the story of Kayleigh Towne, hometown girl turned country superstar, and Edwin Sharp, an obsessive stalker seemingly intent on loving her as well as destroying her. Deaver sets his heroine, Agent Dance, on a hunt to stop Edwin before he destroys Kayleigh and anyone in his way.
Kayleigh has it all on the surface: a skyrocketing country music career, wealth, talent and beauty. But on the inside, her life has been rocked by the death of her mother; an overbearing, money-hungry father; secrets she may never speak of for fear of losing her career; and last but not least, the attentions of an obsessive stalker. From the beginning of the novel, it is evident Edwin believes Kayleigh’s songs were written solely for him, especially her hit single, “Your Shadow.” Deaver uses the song’s lyrics (“As bad as things get/you’ve got to know that I’m with you/Always with you …”) to foreshadow what is next to come.
When Kayleigh receives a mysterious phone call playing the first verse of “Your Shadow” prior to the murder of one of her roadies, the hit single is no longer just a song, but evidence in the investigation. And Edwin is no longer simply a stalker, but a murder suspect.
Deaver writes from different perspectives, mainly focusing on Agent Dance, Detective Madigan and Kayleigh. Although the murder investigation is at the heart of XO, the critical subplots Deaver introduces with each perspective adds a softness and depth to the characters this story would otherwise be lacking. From Agent Dance’s love life, to Detective Madigan’s suspension from the police department, a story about an obsessive stalker turned murderer becomes a story about trust, betrayal and protection from the truth.
Deaver, known as a “master manipulator” in the world of crime thrillers, portrays Edwin as a “master manipulator” himself. Willingly cooperating with the police, but also incredibly hard to read, Deaver keeps his readers on edge: Has Edwin gone of the deep end, or is he being set up as a fall guy? This question persists throughout the entire novel, and everyone’s innocence is questioned.
To answer these questions, Deaver introduces a multitude of characters, from politicians to security guards to record label owners and crewmembers, each with different relations to Kayleigh and possible motives of their own. At times, this series of characters caused confusion, and the reader may find themselves exhausted keeping mental track of them all, and how they relate to Kayleigh. While Deaver excels at revealing shocking truths in unexpected, thrilling ways, the paths he takes towards these revelations are so crowded with characters, it distracts from the storytelling.
Still, Deaver has a great ability to construct chilling, lyrical prose. And as the novel comes to an end, he skillfully pulls together all the threads, his multiple subplots merging as one, until the reader finally receives the answers they have been waiting for. It’s a satisfying conclusion to a thrilling ride.
