He had it coming. But who did it?

Darby Kane is the pseudonym of Helen Kay Dimon, a former trial attorney and current award-winning romantic suspense author. A native of Pennsylvania, Darby now lives in California. It also looks like this title will be made into a movie for Amazon, with Gabrielle Union as producer and star.

I wasn’t sure about this book because so many of the titles I have read are “Pretty this,” “Beautiful this,” “The perfect that…” But as we all know not to judge a book by its cover, I dutifully started reading this one. So glad I did. It was a page-turner, cat-and-mouse thriller from the very beginning. Lila Ridgefield, an once attorney, turned real estate agent, mid-thirties, shines as the hero and the villain all wrapped up in one. The husband, Aaron, well, we don’t like him at all!

Lila and her husband, Aaron, moved to upstate New York to a small college town, close to where Aaron and his brother grew up. Aaron is a well-respected, fun loving schoolteacher and coach to the outside world. To Lila, he had become a bit of a monster, and this was confirmed when she found videos of Aaron with younger, female students. Lila knew that most people would not believe that Aaron was capable of predator or illegal activities. After this, Lila took the law into her own hands and believes that she kills Aaron through a carefully, thought out plan. The plan was foiled when the SUV that had Aaron’s body in it disappeared. Enter in, the local authorities and several other characters that lead you on a bit of chase to find out what happened to Aaron and who — in addition to Lila — had reason to kill Aaron as well.

As you follow the story, you’ll be confused by money, who has it, who doesn’t plus all the characters that are introduced. Lila’s friend, the real estate agent. Lila’s neighbor, always appearing at the house at the most inopportune time. The lawyer and friend of Lila’s arrived out of nowhere. Aaron’s good friend and principal of the high school. Aaron’s brother. They all carry a level of suspicion and could be the one that took Aaron- dead or alive. Aside from all of this, there are cases of missing women in the area that remained unsolved. Was there a connection to Aaron and his unfortunate, illegal infatuation with young women? All part of the mystery still.

Throughout the story, you learn devastating facts about both Aaron and Lila’s upbringing and the tragedy that they both faced with their families. This helps with some insight later on in the book.

Will you figure out who the real villain in the story is before the end?

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Times Leader Media Group Publisher Kerry Miscavage reviewed this book. She and her mother, Jacquie O’Neil, contribute to this column.