John was accused of murdering one of the CEOs of the organic food store chain her works for and her college-aged housekeeper. Kali and John's older sister begs Kali for help clearing John's name and prove that John was also murdered, but every place she looks, Kali finds more evidence to support the police’s theory that John was the murderer. A picture Kali finds among John’s things may be the only clue, one that will either hurt John or lead Kali to the murderer.

As Kali learns one of the other young women in the photo was murdered, she begins to lose faith in her brother's innocence. Before she knows it, Kali is caught up in the world of an underground sex industry and a killer who is as interested in finding Kali as she is in finding him.

The Next Victim has so many different layers, subplots and character connections it would be easy to tangle them all up. Jonnie Jacobs deftly keeps the strands taut, allowing each to develop on its own, crossing to the next link at the last possible second. Kali is allowed to reflect upon her dysfunctional family without becoming maudlin, and is even able to let John’s death help shape her future relationships with both family and friends. We get to see Kali interact more with her family than every before.

Kali has always been a reserved character, but is more vulnerable this time as she examines where she is in her life and where she would like it to go. Until all the different parts of the plot are connected, readers will be kept guessing as to where it is going, and the tension builds slowly. Once the final piece is in place, the ending is not too much of a surprise, though the conclusions Kali reaches may surprise, and please, many of her long time fans.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry