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Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite
In Dark Mirror, the second book in the Zee & Rico Mystery series by Terri Maue, journalist Zee Morani lands a sought-after interview with bestselling author Bette de la Cornne. Bette’s novel, The Mirror of the Soul, has sparked outrage in religious circles. When she is found dead shortly after their meeting, Marjorie Franklin, a woman who claims the book ruined her life, confesses to the murder. But Zee receives quasi-biblical, cryptic texts suggesting the real killer is at large. Her investigation pulls her into the orbit of Believers Anonymous, a radical anti-religion recovery group led by Lenore, a place where betrayal, rage, and charisma collide. Sorting through planted evidence, conflicting timelines, and many layers of deception, Zee discovers something that completely alters the narrative she has been pursuing.
Terri Maue crafts a memorable heroine in Zee: she is smart and flawed by her stubborn resolve and battered body. The author builds suspense through a maze of red herrings, unreliable witnesses, and escalating physical threats. Dark Mirror delivers superb storytelling with fast-paced action that never sacrifices the emotional depth of the characters, and the story skillfully transitions from the investigation to Zee’s vigil at her dying father’s bedside to a prickly, evolving romance. The setting in Valerian, Ohio, brilliantly captures the cozy bakeries, the Roman-themed streets, and the viaducts. The author writes adeptly about abandonment and the lingering effects of religious trauma, with the dark mirror of charismatic manipulation echoing through the plot. The witty dialogue augments the narrative and transforms the book into the kind of thriller that keeps you guessing from start to finish.
