From Publishers Weekly
Through the literal and metaphorical fog of a forest fire that rages through much of Ellis's tense third thriller (after
Access to Power and
The Dead Room), LAPD detective Lena Gamble investigates a string of gruesome murders, the first of a pregnant woman, while trying to follow the convoluted thinking of "Romeo," as the serial killer has been dubbed. The search becomes more complicated and personal when the body of the best friend of Gamble's dead brother, David, is found, apparently another Romeo victim. Through Gamble's nicely framed reminiscences by her pool, we learn of David's unsolved death by gunshot, five years earlier. There's clearly some connection, but Gamble can't tie Romeo to David, a sensitive soul and a rock musician of some renown. The pieces of the case fall into place a little too neatly, and there may be a few too many words on L.A. driving, but the story is tight, the characters alive and the Rambo-like assault at the end refreshingly uncharacteristic of female protagonists.
Author tour. (June) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From AudioFile
Detective Lena Gamble is working in Robbery and Homicide at the LAPD when she draws the first of a number of serial murders. The diverse clues force Lena to follow sparse leads, along with her intuition. When a member of her dead brothers band is murdered in the same macabre manner as the victims in her current cases, Lena reviews her brothers file, which only reveals more loose ends. Rene Raudman narrates this convoluted story, which is told in the first person by Lena, who is often out of the loop. Raudmans steady voice reflects Lenas even-tempered personality, especially when the serial killer starts stalking her and her gravelly voiced partner plays hide-and-seek with the clues. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
