So looking back on my reviews of the previous 2 or 3 books in the Thorn series, it seems I wasn't too crazy about them. For one thing, I prefer my mystery series to be first person, and this one is the omniscient narrator, telling the story from multiple sides, including the perp, so Thorn solving mysteries isn't part of the reason you would read one of these.

So why would you read these? Great action. A central (but not singular) character like Thorn who is kind of broken but kind of cool. Interesting side characters. And a crime with panache.

Well, this book has all that and more! It jumps into the action early and never lets up, as it tells the story of a twisted mind taking control of an ocean liner and Thorn and his lifelong friend Sugar (hired to crack the case) try to figure out what is going on and how to stop it before the liner crashes.

There's plenty of pop psychology, which can be annoying. But the villain in this book isn't as wacky as in previous books. I mean, he's a real psychopath, but his plan isn't as far fetched as in previous books and he seems to have it under control.

So I really enjoyed this one. Glad I already have the next one ([b:Red Sky at Night|1164036|Red Sky at Night (Thorn, #6)|James W. Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1421584536l/1164036.SX50.jpg|1151706]) already in hand!