Well, this was an emotionally engaging read although it was my least favorite of the trilogy. That's entirely due to the subject matter though which revolves around the kidnapping, rape and murder of 9-11 year old little girls. Needless to say, as a mother and aunt I had a difficult time dealing with some of the scenes. However, the writing was excellent as always, and had me bawling on a couple of occasions. This is the third and last in a series and can absolutely standalone, but I'd highly recommend 'The Prey' and most especially 'The Hunt' since the couple from that story play a large part in this one. I liked Zack and Olivia, though I had a harder time connecting with her character because of the aloofness she projected. The romance didn't seem to truly take root until the final quarter of the story, but I wound up really loving them as a couple. The ending was satisfying and although the serial child murderer gets his just reward, I felt a little conflicted over how it came about. Overall, if you can stomach the disturbing content you'll probably really enjoy this thrilling but also heart wrenching romantic suspense!