Review of "The Darker Side" by Cody McFadyen

In this third mystery from Cody McFadyen to feature FBI Agent Smoky Barrett, the world of politics comes crashing down on Smoky when she's assigned to investigate the murder of Lisa Reid, the daughter of a Democratic senator, who was stabbed aboard an airplane. Complicating the case further is the fact that Lisa was a pre-operative transsexual. As Smoky and her team investigate further, they're led to a religious zealot dubbed "The Preacher" who focuses his wrath on perceived sinners like Lisa.

Smoky's job always forces her to wade through the darkest depths of society and "The Darker Side" takes her deeper than she's ever been before. While the political pressures she has to deal with seem a bit formulaic, it's the psychological elements of McFadyn's books that keep you guessing to the last page, making this one of the best mysteries of the past five years.