Book Review: Fringe Benefits

Reviewed By: Pat Reid - RAM

Fringe Benefits     Amazon US TPB Amazon Canada TPB
F. M. Meredith
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Thriller   Police Procedural
Series: Rocky Bluff P.D. # 3
Tigress Press, LLC, 2006, 199 pps.

Be careful what you wish for, lest it come true. Officer Cal Sylvester certainly found this statement to be true in Fringe Benefits. Not only did he wish for another police officer’s wife but he put a plan in motion to make his wish come true. The death of Cal’s wife so that she would be out of the picture and the proceeds of her insurance to keep Darcy Gordon happy went a long way towards making his wish come true but the dream turned into a nightmare.

Fringe Benefits take you into the lives and homes of several police officers of Rocky Bluff a small community in California. You learn their interactions with their wives and families as well as their thoughts towards their jobs.

Most are good, conscientious officers trying their best to do their jobs in spite of some set-backs. Cal Sylvester is the exception. He is totally self-centered, obnoxious and a police officer you wouldn’t want to run into.

Some of the officers are suspicious of Cal’s actions but cannot prove their suspicions. The officers are dealing with break-ins in various houses that indicate someone is just using the homes for a place to eat and sleep and a temporary shelter. A run-away is suspected but finding the run-away proves to be not so easy.

Several rapes have occurred in the area, mostly blond women, and all happening on a Wednesday evening. Several of the officers are investigating the rapes.

F. M. Meredith keeps you guessing throughout the book. I am hoping that she will continue the Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery series. This is the third book in the series and my first so I have some catching up to do. Fringe Benefits is a fast, interesting read and I think the police officers in Rocky Bluff are typical of police officers everywhere with the same ambitions and stumbling blocks but I hope there aren’t too many Cal Sylvester’s out there.

Pat Reid - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Pat Reid - RAM