From Publishers Weekly
In Burke's lively second Samantha Kincaid mystery (after 2003's Judgment Calls), the Deputy District Attorney has just joined the Major Crimes Unit in Portland, Ore., when a local judge, Clarissa Easterbrook, goes missing and is then found murdered. As Kincaid sifts through possible suspects, she also adjusts to the personalities in her new office, including her surprisingly friendly supervisor. Evidence of the judge's affair with a politician and an increasingly confusing crush of contracts, judgments and financial papers make it difficult to believe that Kincaid would seriously consider Melvin Jackson, a poor black man, as the likely murderer. A former drug addict, Jackson was in danger of losing custody of his kids in a case Easterbrook was considering just before her death. Eventually, Kincaid turns to a more obvious source of trouble. Kincaid is an appealing if perhaps too familiar a type—a slightly seasoned, feisty woman who runs impressive distances and confides her endearing foibles to the reader. Burke does a good job of integrating the political and personal lives of her characters, with the detectives of the Major Crimes Unit being particularly well drawn. Witty and concise dialogue helps redeem the somewhat stiff plotting.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Clarissa Easterbrook was a judge in Portland, Oregon, and the wife of a prominent surgeon--until her lifeless body was found near a construction site at the city's edge. Samantha Kincaid, new to the district attorney's Major Crimes Unit, is assigned the case. When Samantha learns that Clarissa was having an affair, suspicion centers on the spouse. Could the doctor have been inspired to perform cranial surgery with a hunk of granite? But the forensic evidence forms a circumstantial case against a former drug addict who could lose his home and possibly his kids based on a ruling by the late judge. As Samantha digs, however, it seems less likely that this was a crime of passion or anger. The second Kincaid mystery by the daughter of James Lee Burke is a very clever whodunit long on red herrings, shadowy motives, and sly humor. The author's background as a former deputy DA in Portland lends gritty ambience to this modern parable of greed and ambition. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
'Alafair Burke's family give her a lot to live up to ... but she seems to be coping admirably. Missing Justice is the second Samantha Kincaid mystery and I can't wait for the third. Burke has fashioned an intricately plotted thriller with a hugely attractive heroine. This is set to be a bestselling series.' -- Juliet Swann, Ottakar's Edinburgh THE BOOKSELLER 'Alafair Burke learned her suspence writing at the side of a master ... but she has established her own authentic voice and Samantha Kincaid is a feisty and credible heroine.' -- Myles McWeeney IRISH INDEPENDENT 'Judgement Calls placed Alafair Burke a way up on the ladder to top crime writing. Missing Justice takes her further to the top with the name Samantha Kincaid sure to become as familiar to crime readers as Kay Scarpetta and Tempe Brennan.' THE BOOK PLACE
--This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
edition.
Book Description
In the second entry in this "sharp, new crime series," the search for a missing judge leads Samantha Kincaid into Portland politics and a labyrinth of crime, corruption, and cover-ups
(Publishers Weekly)
Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid is back at work after an attempt on her life and a promotion into the Major Crimes Unit. When the husband of Portland, Oregon, city judge Clarissa Easterbrook reports her missing and Samantha is called out on the case, she assumes her only job is to make the district attorney look good until the judge turns up. When the police discover evidence of foul play, however, Samantha finds herself unearthing secrets that Clarissa had wanted to stay hidden, the lingering personal tolls of a crime that occurred decades ago. And when those secrets lead to the discovery of corruption at the highest levels of the city's power structure, Samantha realizes that her quest for justice could cost her not only her job but her life.
In the skillfully plotted, highly suspenseful follow-up to her acclaimed debut, Judgment Calls, Alafair Burke once again demonstrates that "she's got what it takes" (Michael Connelly). With its irreverent heroine and seamless blend of squad rooms, street scenes, and courtroom drama, Missing Justice confirms Burke's place among the genre's most talented and exciting newcomers.
(Publishers Weekly)
Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid is back at work after an attempt on her life and a promotion into the Major Crimes Unit. When the husband of Portland, Oregon, city judge Clarissa Easterbrook reports her missing and Samantha is called out on the case, she assumes her only job is to make the district attorney look good until the judge turns up. When the police discover evidence of foul play, however, Samantha finds herself unearthing secrets that Clarissa had wanted to stay hidden, the lingering personal tolls of a crime that occurred decades ago. And when those secrets lead to the discovery of corruption at the highest levels of the city's power structure, Samantha realizes that her quest for justice could cost her not only her job but her life.
In the skillfully plotted, highly suspenseful follow-up to her acclaimed debut, Judgment Calls, Alafair Burke once again demonstrates that "she's got what it takes" (Michael Connelly). With its irreverent heroine and seamless blend of squad rooms, street scenes, and courtroom drama, Missing Justice confirms Burke's place among the genre's most talented and exciting newcomers.
From the Back Cover
MISSING PERSON
Newly promoted Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid's first assignment back after a much-needed vacation is a hot one: Judge Clarissa Easterbrook has gone missing from a wealthy Portland neighborhood, and Sam has to make the DA look good until the prodigal judge returns. Yet it soon becomes clear that the woman didn't vanish voluntarily-and it's no surprise when her bludgeoned body turns up at a local construction site.
MISSING PROOF
What is surprising is how quickly a suspect is apprehended while Clarissa's husband, a prominent surgeon, is cleared of suspicion. It all seems a bit cut-and-dried to Sam, especially when she discovers that Clarissa was keeping secrets that the city's elite would prefer to stay hidden.
MISSING JUSTICE
Now, with each piece of the puzzle she uncovers, Sam is getting closer to the truth-and to the wrong side of some very powerful people. It seems Clarissa's secrets may have caught up to her in the worst of ways. And in her quest to exonerate an innocent man, Sam could be next in line...
"A wonderful writer, with the kind of skill I most admire...I'm a big fan"
-Sue Grafton
"A very clever whodunit long on red herrings, shadowy motives, and sly humor."
-Booklist
--This text refers to the
Mass Market Paperback
edition.
Newly promoted Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid's first assignment back after a much-needed vacation is a hot one: Judge Clarissa Easterbrook has gone missing from a wealthy Portland neighborhood, and Sam has to make the DA look good until the prodigal judge returns. Yet it soon becomes clear that the woman didn't vanish voluntarily-and it's no surprise when her bludgeoned body turns up at a local construction site.
MISSING PROOF
What is surprising is how quickly a suspect is apprehended while Clarissa's husband, a prominent surgeon, is cleared of suspicion. It all seems a bit cut-and-dried to Sam, especially when she discovers that Clarissa was keeping secrets that the city's elite would prefer to stay hidden.
MISSING JUSTICE
Now, with each piece of the puzzle she uncovers, Sam is getting closer to the truth-and to the wrong side of some very powerful people. It seems Clarissa's secrets may have caught up to her in the worst of ways. And in her quest to exonerate an innocent man, Sam could be next in line...
"A wonderful writer, with the kind of skill I most admire...I'm a big fan"
-Sue Grafton
"A very clever whodunit long on red herrings, shadowy motives, and sly humor."
-Booklist
About the Author
A former deputy district attorney in Portland, Oregon, Alafair Burke now teaches criminal law at Hofstra School of Law and lives in Long Island, New York. She is the daughter of acclaimed crime writer James Lee Burke.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
From Missing Justice:
Prosecutors have bad days. Our files are filled with death, rape, desperation, and degradation. Even in so-called "victimless crimes," we spend our work hours thinking about acts that could be committed only by pathetic, miserable people who have lost the hope we all need to maintain our humanity. Compare that to fighting over money for a banking client, and it looks like we're doing the heavy lifting.
But, in the end, I'm still just a lawyer. I issue indictments, plead out cases, and go to trial. When it comes to the investigation, I might lead the police on procedures. But it's the police who do the work. They're the ones who kick in a door when a search needs to be executed. They're the ones who climb through the Dumpster when a gun gets tossed.
And Johnson and Walker would be the ones to visit Clarissa Easterbrook's family members tonight to tell them that their lives would never be the same again.
Prosecutors have bad days. Our files are filled with death, rape, desperation, and degradation. Even in so-called "victimless crimes," we spend our work hours thinking about acts that could be committed only by pathetic, miserable people who have lost the hope we all need to maintain our humanity. Compare that to fighting over money for a banking client, and it looks like we're doing the heavy lifting.
But, in the end, I'm still just a lawyer. I issue indictments, plead out cases, and go to trial. When it comes to the investigation, I might lead the police on procedures. But it's the police who do the work. They're the ones who kick in a door when a search needs to be executed. They're the ones who climb through the Dumpster when a gun gets tossed.
And Johnson and Walker would be the ones to visit Clarissa Easterbrook's family members tonight to tell them that their lives would never be the same again.
From AudioFile
Deputy D.A. Samantha Kincaid makes a second appearance in Burke's suspense series, this time after being promoted to the Major Crimes Unit in Portland, Oregon. A local judge is murdered, and powerful people demand a quick investigation. Through Betty Bobbitt's agile voice and the tangled events of the high-profile murder, Samantha's integrity and street smarts come to life. Unfortunately, Samantha is sometimes presented in a whiny tone that doesn't match her no-nonsense dialogue, but many side characters are drawn with depth. Bobbitt's intriguing accent just hints at her years in Australia. Portland listeners will be delighted at the rich references to their city but disappointed at Bobbitt's mispronunciation of several geographic names. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
