Copyright 2006 by Sandra Brown Management Ltd. Published by Simon and Schuster, New York.
Let me begin by apologizing for the preponderance of book reviews in this blog which is intended to be a diary of our full-time RV lifestyle. But in this pandemic there is darn little left to do but read. So, sorry, but this is our RV life right now.
I liked this book a lot. That makes 3 straight books that I liked a lot, which is some kind of record. Hopefully my view is not being tainted by my boredom.
First, let me mention something that I liked about this book that has nothing to do with the plot or the prose: it was a large-print edition. I think this is my first large-print novel and I have to admit that it was a pleasure being able to read it without reading glasses.
Second, let me mention something I liked about the book that had a bit to do with the plot, but not much: it was set in Savannah GA, one of my favorite cities. Many of the settings in the book were familiar to me from the times I have visited there. This familiarity made it easy to picture the scene and made it more realistic to me.
The plot. It begins in the courtroom of Judge Laird where a career criminal, Robert Savich, is on trial for murder. The lead detective, Duncan Hatcher, and his partner, DeeDee Brown, are confident that this time they had built an iron-clad case against Savich, a long-time nemesis who had skated free numerous times. This time the trial ends in a mistrial when Judge Laird rules that a juror had lied on his questionaire. Hatcher is incensed that the juror had not simply been replaced by an alternate and voices his displeasure so forcefully that the judge slaps him with 3 days in jail for contempt.
Fast forward to an awards ceremony where DeeDee is receiving a commendation for exemplary police work. Duncan goes, reluctantly, as DeeDee’s escort, and encounters Judge Laird there. He manages to be civil. Until he meets Laird’s trophy wife, Elise, who figuratively knocks his socks off. Hatcher, more than a little tipsy, gets Elise alone for a few seconds and says something wildly inappropriate. She really should have slapped him or at least walked away, insulted. But she doesn’t. And she lies to her husband about what Hatcher said to her.
Not surprisingly, much of the rest of the book is about Duncan and Elise’s incipient relationship and Duncan and DeeDee’s quest to nail Savich. These two plot lines are, of course, intertwined. There are twists and turns galore and the plot left me guessing right up to the very end. This is one of the best plots I have encountered in a long time and the ending is reminiscent of The Sting.
My complaints? Well, the book is written in the third person which give Brown the freedom to jump from scene to scene. Sometimes the jumps are jarring, with a large block left out, purely to keep the reader guessing. It works, but seemed a bit unfair.
Also, I have some problems with Hatcher’s behavior. He is a veteran detective with an exemplary record and a reputation for integrity. One thing you absolutely don’t do as a detective is form an emotional attachment with a suspect, which is what Elise Laird becomes. You also don’t break the law in an attempt to bring a criminal to justice, which is what he does with Savich. He was very out of control – and out of character – for much of the book. The ending absolves him, mostly. But not completely.
But these complaints don’t do a lot to diminish the entertainment value of this book.
8.5 out of 10.