Book Review: Dead Connection

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

[5 stars]

Dead Connection Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Alafair Burke
Class/Genre: Mystery Woman Main Character Thriller Serial Killer Police Procedural
Series: Ellie Hatcher # 1
Holt, Jul 2007, $19.95

Being a NYPD rookie, Kansas transplant Ellie Hatcher works the boring minor leagues of inconsequential robberies unless of course you are the victim. However, her break to the majors occurs when she is assigned as the partner of charismatic Homicide Detective Flann McIlroy who investigates the murder of Louisiana expatriate Amy Davis. The veteran sleuth believes a serial killer murdered Amy; the brass disagrees but stays out of the way of Flann who has a higher than norm completion record in spite of the worst case assignments. His theory and the police scoffing at it hits personally home to Ellie, who believes her father, a Wichita cop, was slain killed by a serial killer he was investigating but his brass says otherwise.

The only clue found on the victim apparently was placed there by the culprit. It leads the sleuths to FirstDate Internet dating. They quickly realize the FirstDate connection includes the murdered last year on this day Caroline Hunter. Ellie and Flann begin to look into the lives of other deceased females who died under similar circumstances. The FBI notices their efforts and Agent Charlie Dixon tries to end their investigation, which only encourages Flann and Ellie to dig deeper while their murderous felon switch MO to mimic her father’s killer.

Flann and Ellie make a delightful pairing as a media seeking veteran and a shy rookie work a psychopathic serial killer case that both knows will haunt them long after they are finished. The FBI causing roadblocks is not new, but fans will not care as this cat and mouse encounter switches roles to the delight of the audience. Initially the cops are the felines and the predator the rodent, but once the culprit realizes Ellie is on the case, he becomes the feline and she (and her partner) the rodents. This is a terrific New York police procedural.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner