In Wendy M. Barnhart’s new thriller, a journalist finds her professional and home lives thrown into chaos when she attracts the attention of a murderer.
Emerson Kemp, a serial killer nicknamed Lady Justice, is on death row. But someone is continuing her work: murdering abusers who haven’t been held accountable by the justice system and leaving drawings of a pair of scales at the crime scenes.
Journalist Cassidy Vickers is an expert on Lady Justice, but her editor has assigned an obnoxious colleague to cover the latest murders. Cassidy’s home life is in trouble, too, with her tyrannical oil tycoon mother-in-law increasingly manipulating Cassidy’s husband, Merrick.
When Cassidy makes a guest appearance on a true crime podcast, Emerson Kemp herself calls in and invites Cassidy to interview her in prison.
As Cassidy’s bond with Emerson strengthens, Midge grows more determined to bring Cassidy, Merrick and their young son under her control. Meanwhile, the murders continue, with no shortage of potential perpetrators.
Cassidy is a sympathetic protagonist: levelheaded and devoted to her loved ones. And the pressures she faces feel painfully relatable despite their outsized nature. Barnhart also assembles an intriguing supporting cast with distinct personalities and complex motivations.
However, the novel feels bloated at just over 500 pages, despite an exciting and twisty plot. The main culprit is Barnhart’s tendency to relay extended stretches of dialogue blow-by-blow and give unnecessary attention to what characters are eating or drinking.
That space would be better used to explore some promising themes that feel underbaked. For instance, Emerson was a social media star before she became a killer. but the relationship between these two parts of her identity is never deeply explored. And the explosive revelations that come later in the book could use room for better-developed reactions from the characters.
As-is, Scaled Vengeance will appeal to die-hard fans of the growing subgenre of thrillers featuring characters involved in the world of true crime entertainment. However, some editing could greatly broaden its appeal.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.