A new Cari Hunter novel? What mayhem will engulf her characters this time? The answer: Truly terrible things, as well as truly lovely things, abound in the mystery-thriller No Good Reason. “She hurt” are the opening words, and this is a bodily hurt. The plot takes off immediately as a captive woman makes her bloody escape and then — Well, this is not a romance, dear reader, so brace yourself.

After visiting America for her last two books, Desolation Point and Tumbledown, Hunter returns to the land of hot tea and the bacon butty in her latest novel. Our heroines are Detective Sanne Jensen and Dr. Meg Fielding, best mates forever and sometimes something more. Their relationship is undefinable and complicated, but not in a hot mess of drama way. Rather, they share unspoken depths, comfortably silly moments, rock-solid friendship, and an intimacy that will make your heart ache just a wee bit.

Sanne and Meg’s relationship may be a muddle, but goodness knows they’ll need to hold tight to each other. Truly nasty things await them as Sanne is the first on the scene when hikers discover a barely-alive woman in the North Peak district of Derbyshire. The mystery of the woman’s identity, who tortured her, where she was held captive and why, play out as Sanne and Meg struggle with the emotional and physical tolls of each twisty discovery.

Hunter is a paramedic when not authoring, so she knows her medical scenes and masterfully writes hurt/comfort. The people Meg and Sanne work along-side actually seem to live real lives and not just exist as secondary characters to prop up the plot. While I foresaw some turns in the case before the Derbyshire police, how everyone reacts to those developments seems much more important. And folks, many moments of cheer, shared laughter, and good eats sneak in around the angst and action.

I felt so much for the people in this book, which may be the highest compliment I can give the author. Damn you, Cari Hunter, you made me care.

Now go write the sequel.

Disclaimer: This reviewer once ate American diner food with the author at a Lesfic event, and also received British sweets through the mail from her. However, she wouldn’t write a review of this book if it was shite.