Close Case [Hardcover]

Thirty-two year old Samantha Kincaid, the protagonist of Alafair Burke's new thriller, "Close Case," is the Deputy District Attorney for Multnomah County in Portland, Oregon, as well as the newest member of the Major Crimes Unit. Although Sam loves her job and is very good at putting bad guys behind bars, she is often conflicted about how to behave in morally ambiguous situations. "Close Case" throws Sam into plenty of hot water, and she soon gets scalded.

When black investigative reporter Percy Crenshaw is beaten to death outside his condo, Sam is asked to oversee the case. Crenshaw had been driving an S-Class Mercedes Benz just before he was murdered. Was he the victim of a carjacking gone wrong or did the killer have a personal vendetta against him? Another high profile incident involves Delores Tompkins, an unarmed African American woman who was fatally shot through the windshield of her car by a Portland patrol officer. Both cases are politically sensitive. Sam's boss, District Attorney Duncan Griffith, is wary of the fallout from the media and civil rights groups. To make matters worse for Sam, her live-in boyfriend, Detective Chuck Forbes, doesn't always agree with the way that Sam does her job.

Alafair Burke's experience as a former deputy district attorney lends authenticity to this gritty and complicated police procedural. She details the tough lives that district attorneys and cops lead, with the never-ending demands on their time, patience, and energy. Sam is an engaging character, and her desire to follow her instincts and always do the right thing brings her into inevitable conflict with her supervisor and her boyfriend.

The varied characters in the book include a courageous grass-roots activist, Selma Gooding, who knows more than she realizes about Crenshaw's death, Heidi Hatmaker, a rookie reporter who worked with Percy and would like to find his killer, and Lisa Lopez, an irritating defense attorney who gives Samantha heartburn. There are plenty of suspects and red herrings to keep the reader guessing as to whodunit and why. Burke's easygoing and often droll writing style and her deft characterizations add to the book's appeal. My one quibble is the ending, which has far too many coincidences to be believed. Still, "Close Case" is a suspenseful and engrossing thriller, and Burke gives her readers valuable insight into the workings of the criminal justice system. She also demonstrates the difficulty that people of good conscience have when they seek justice in a corrupt world.

Alafair Burke has shrugged off comparisons to her famous mystery-writer father and shown she has a style all her own. The Samantha Kincaid series is full of legal complexity, tightly spun plots, and an engaging female lead.

Samantha is a living, breathing character. It's hard not to like this lady. Sam's a tough cookie, but she has a heart underneath her protective exterior. She also knows the ins and outs of the justice system. Once again, she is thrust into a murder mystery set in Portland, Oregon. This time, an investigative reporter has paid the ultimate price in his search for the truth. Samantha will risk her career, her friendships, and even love in an effort to get to the bottom of this violent act.

Burke's strengths can sometimes be a weakness. She is so adept at conveying the inner workings of prosecutor and police procedures that she occasionally loses my emotional connection to the story. Fortunately, this happens only once or twice, and Burke grabs me again with her ability to wind readers deeper and deeper into a mystery. Only as the last pages turn do we discover all the layers involved.

With "Close Case," Alafair Burke proves that she is a writer standing on her own merits, a writer who will be around for years to come. And I, for one, am thankful.

Realistic characters living and working in a fascinating mileu, skillful plotting, and an astute prose style make this book a standout.

Deputy DA Samantha Kincaid is a member of the prestigious Major Crimes Unit in Portland, Oregon. Her reputation as a savvy attorney and investigator has been earned in the trenches. Whether law enforcement peers like her or not, they respect her intelligence and instincts. She has a brisk no- nonsense personal style and the uncanny knack of winning when the chips are down. Two unrelated cases put her life and reputation in jeopardy.

The shooting of an unarmed black female civilian by a white cop has Portland's nerves on edge. Angry civilians are convinced the shooting was racially motivated. Then Portland's celebrity muckraker, Percy Crenshaw -- also black -- is bludgeoned to death just outside his apartment. Civilians are outraged by his murder; Kincaid and fellow investigators are mystified,

until one suspect confesses to the crime. But will the questionable confession stand up to scrutiny?

Disconnected leads take Samantha from one dead end to another as she investigates both crimes. As she untangles each small clue in Percy Crenshaw's notebooks, it soon becomes apparent that the killings were connected. Even members of the Portland Police Department are suspect, including her boyfriend Det. Chuck Forbes and his loose cannon partner Mike. Regardless of the outcome to her career and love life, Samantha digs for truths that might end up killing her.

Close Case is an exciting suspense thriller, rich with the legal and law enforcement details intelligent readers of the genre crave. Critical praise received for the Samantha Kincaid Series is well-deserved.

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