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Mystery/Thriller Book ReviewsPage Four of SixLiar by Jan BurkeSimon & Schuster, May 1998.Hardcover, 348 pages. ISBN: 0684803453. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
Amateur sleuth/reporter Irene Kelly and her husband
feel lucky to have each other after a terrifying kidnapping
incident (see, Hocus). But they barely have time to catch
their breath when Irene gets the news that her long-estranged
Aunt Briana has died. Irene must find her aunt's son Travis and
tell him of his mother's death. But Travis doesn't want to
be found and he certainly doesn't want anything to do with
Irene or any of her branch of the family, the Maguires, after
they cut themselves off from Briana over her marriage to
a man with a decidedly shady past who everyone always
suspected of murdering his first wife, a wealthy heiress.
When Irene locates Travis they join forces, somewhat
reluctantly, to find out more about Briana's death and
stumble onto a viper's nest of lies and buried family
secrets which could result in Travis and Irene being the next targets
of a long-hidden murderer. Nevertheless, Irene is
determined to find out the truth about her family's
past -- no matter what the cost.
Liar is a skillfully plotted, suspenseful story of how the actions of a prior generation can have ever-widening repercussions on a modern family. Everyone in Liar has something to hide; the dual nature of the mysteries both past and present are carefully unraveled in Burke's engaging style of storytelling. Another winner in a fantastic mystery series. --Claire E. White The Only Good Lawyer by Jeremiah HealyPocket Books, March 1998.Paperback, 298 pages. ISBN: 0671009532. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
John Cuddy, a private investigator, decides
to take on the case of Alan Spaeth, a racist white
male who is charged with murdering
Woodrow Gant, despite the negative reaction from
his girlfriend, attorney Nancy Meagher, who believes
Spaeth is obviously guilty. Woodrow Gant was a prominent
African-American lawyer who was found
murdered by his car in the early morning hours.
All the evidence points to Cuddy's obnoxious client
and he certainly is isn't winning any new friends by
taking on the unwanted case. As Cuddy begins
to investigate, he finds that there is more than meets
the eye to Gant's lifestyle and that he had unusual
passions and multiple enemies. Cuddy goes forward
with the case, determined to discover the real killer
so he can clear Spaeth's name, despite the damage
it is doing to his own love life.
Jeremiah Healy continues to please private-eye fans with this 12th entry into his Shamus award-winning John Cuddy series. Strong characters, great dialogue and an exciting plot highlight this appealing addition. Mystery Reviews Page One | Page Two | Page Three Page Four Page Five | Page Six Click Here to Return to the Book Reviews Index ** To visit the archives of mystery books reviewed in The IWJ, please click here. |