Cherry Pits is a wildly creative thriller about a 20-year-old artist with PTSD, anxiety issues, dark tastes, and a morbid job—disposing of dead bodies for a disturbed killer whose identity he does not know. Author Emily Hodgson will keep you on the edge of your seat as Chester (AKA Chess) navigates strange and changing events in his odd life. Chess was orphaned at a young age due to a terrible fire. He is on his own in the world and has found creative ways to support his (literally) skeletal artwork and make a living for himself, too. Chess realizes he is in way over his head when he grasps who his deadly employer really is and what cherry pits actually mean.

I absolutely loved how creative Emily Hodgson is. The story is extremely imaginative and fascinating. Emily filled Cherry Pits with many plot twists and I was constantly surprised. It is primarily written around the protagonist but occasionally shifts to the other characters’ points of view. Emily starts the story out slowly, giving the reader time to get to know Chess and his acquaintances, but then the pace suddenly quickens and maintains speed and suspense. The plot leaves you questioning certain things throughout the book to keep you hooked. For example, the author does not clearly reveal just why someone like Chess would be interested in cleaning up after a murderer until the end. I think Cherry Pits is an unusual find. It is a great psychological thriller, and I truly enjoyed it.

Cherry Pits by Emily Hodgson is a psychological thriller with a strong plot and three-dimensional characters. Chester Finnegan is a janitor, but what makes his job unique is that he doesn’t sweep and mop the usual floors and hallways. Rather, he cleans crime scenes after the murderer commits the crime to leave no traces for authorities. It’s a tough and filthy job, one that requires precision and utmost secrecy. He’s doing it to pay the bills, given that he is finding it difficult to succeed as a visual artist, and most criminals are too lazy to clean up their mess. With a killer named Murdy whom he has never met, they use coded messages to execute their transactions and remain discreet. Murdy has always been afraid of getting caught, but he is not exactly cautious with his moves. When he creates a fatal error that leaves a trace of evidence, their professional relationship turns into a sour rivalry, and it threatens to destroy whatever is remaining of Chester’s dream to become recognized as an artist.

Cherry Pits uses the crime cleaner character as the frontman rather than a mere support who assists in concealing a crime. It is a well-plotted crime novel because Emily Hodgson has a penchant for diving into drama with a charged-up thrill and characters that you will care about, and the dialogue is well-written. At the back of your mind will be the lingering thought that there is something highly original about this story. You’ve seen the crime scene cleaning service in John Wick that works with efficiency and leaves everything spotless, after which they are paid in gold coins. In this more grounded story, Hodgson brilliantly portrays Chester’s job as filled with setbacks when an error tips the scales. It is a slick urban thriller with so many new things to offer, and I highly recommend it for your reading pleasure.