Harvest by Rob Pobi

The Big Apple is in the middle of a stifling heat wave and a twisted serial killer is ripping through New York City with his sights set on children.  Enter Alexandra “Hemi” Hemingway, a New York City detective who’s tougher than a two dollar steak.  Can Hemi and the NYPD put an end to the bloodshed?

Robert Pobi can write one hell of a page turner.  His excellent pacing had me racing to the end, desperate to find out who was behind the string of grisly murders.  I was trying to piece together the clues and uncover the person responsible and although I thought I had it figured out, Pobi completely surprised me with a real jaw dropping finale that had me reeling.

On the morning the killer’s first victim is found, Hemi is hit with an unexpected and seemingly unwanted pregnancy that threatens her personal and professional life.  Although the subplot involving Hemi’s pregnancy doesn’t seem to fit within the main narrative, Pobi uses it as a catalyst to develop both Hemi and her supporting cast.  Without it, we may not have learned of the father/daughter relationship she has with her mentor and partner Phelps, as well as her complicated feelings about her boyfriend Daniel, the father of her unborn child.   It also raises a question within both Hemi and the reader – is it wise to bring a child into a world with monsters like this on the loose?

It’s always nice to start off the new year with a great read and Robert Pobi’s Harvest is just that.  If you’re a thriller fan, this is not one you want to miss.