I am a fan of the series but seriously question the writing when the first three characters (drug dealer, boyfriend, principal) fit the prototype of race that normally get killed early in a thriller. C'mon - the minority of the population get impacted first, right? That probability adds up. I guess the price to pay to keep some other minority storylines survive. Guess you can't have it all. Lol!
Enjoy thrillers but don't get sloppy on the writing early on.