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Summary
Summary
An officer on patrol discovers the body of a prominent local physician in his car. The motor is running and the radio is playing, but Dr Steven Pleasant is already growing cold. The case is not straightforward for the investigative team.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Flora's dazzling debut police procedural introduces Sgt. Joe Burgess, a crusty but bighearted Portland, Maine, cop. "This case has everything," Joe says of a murder he's investigating, "unhappy wife, angry ex. Hookers. Drugs. Money problems. Maybe blackmail." The distinctly unsympathetic victim, Dr. Stephen Pleasant, is found in his Mercedes with his pants down, a rod rammed down his throat and two shades of lipstick smeared on his chest. It turns out he had a three-hooker-a-week habit, and one of the suspects is Alana Black, a sexy young prostitute Burgess has been trying to help for years. But evidence suggests another woman at the scene and tracking her down proves difficult and dangerous for Alana and Joe, testing his tenacity, patience and faith-not only as he pursues justice but as he faces his personal demons. Flora (Finding Amy: A True Story of Murder in Maine) leaves some tantalizing loose ends at the conclusion, hinting at future entries in this promising new series. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
After six cases for educational consultant Thea Kozak (Liberty or Death, 2003, etc.), Flora produces a police procedural starring a Maine cop almost as tough as Thea. Sgt. Joe Burgess is Portland's meanest cop, so he's perfect for heading the investigation into the death of Dr. Stephen Pleasant, found in his car on a bitter cold night with his pants unzipped and his throat impaled by a steel rod. Dr. Pleasant's fondness for the company of prostitutes promises to turn the case as blue as his skin. When his colleagues at Pine State Radiology stonewall the most routine questioning and the long-suffering widow's old-money father warns that the police had better shield his little girl from the tawdry details, it's obvious that only Portland's meanest cop will have the guts to keep pushing. Even so, Burgess isn't all that mean. Sure, he attacked a hated superior years ago for torpedoing his case against a murderous, well-connected child-molester--a case that still haunts Burgess. But he's too sensitive to believe the whoppers he's told about the good doctor's personal and professional life, too resilient to be sidelined by beatings and shootings and too noble to yield his virtue to Alana Black, a hooker with the hots for him. Even though Burgess's meanness is well within normal limits for the genre, his passionate work here earns him a year's leave--most of it no doubt devoted to physical therapy. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Sergeant Joe Burgess, a Portland, Maine, homicide cop, has a reputation for being a bit mean. And surly. And unruly. And disrespectful to his superiors, not to mention witnesses and suspects. But he is also considered one of the best detectives on the force, which is a good thing, since his latest case is a toughie. A physician is found, murdered in his car. It looks like a simple case of a romantic tryst (the kind that involves money changing hands) gone bad, but Burgess is not one of those cops who settles for the easy answer. Instead, he proceeds to rattle a few cages and make a few enemies, digging deeper into the murdered man's life than anyone, least of all the killer, wants him to. Flora, author of the Thea Kozak mystery series, has veered off in a new direction and has created one of the more intriguing protagonists to come along in a few seasons. Presumably, there will be more Burgess novels, and that looks to be a very good thing. --David Pitt Copyright 2006 Booklist
Library Journal Review
On a cold and snowy night in Portland, ME, Police Detective Joe Burgess catches a nasty murder case: oncologist Steven Pleasant, who had a habit of picking up prostitutes, is found dead in his car with a metal rod rammed down his throat. No one wants to talk to the police, yet both his family and his work colleagues knew about his sordid predilection. Flora, author of the Thea Kozak series (An Educated Death), has written a dark, brooding novel about a cop who, despite his personal demons and dislike for the murder victim, won't quit until the guilty party is brought to justice. This is a triumph in the police procedural genre. Highly recommended for all collections. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
