Jess, Ellie’s brother, is also in this novel, though not as much as he had been in the first. Jess has quickly become a favorite of mine and I really missed him in this book. Where Ellie is naïve, Jess has got connections all over New York – most of them women he’s dated or gotten to know. However, Jess can’t deal with the harsher aspects of Ellie’s job and that really comes on stage during the early pages of this novel.
J. J. Rogan, Ellie’s new partner, is an intriguing conundrum as well. He sticks out from the homicide department as well and carries his own cross. But I liked how well he and Ellie fit together. I was also relieved to find that they weren’t going to get locked up in a romantic tangle. They’re both bright and driven, young enough to still play the game every minute of the day and believe they’re going to make a difference.
The investigation moves quickly through the book. I enjoyed all the directions and the landscape Ellie follows and explores while she chases the killer. Burke resides in New York, and the city comes to life in her pages.
Since she’s also been an assistant district attorney and is currently a law professor, Burke’s dealing with the legal system in the book is dead-on. The frustrations on both sides of the prosecutor’s table (police officer and district attorney) get described well and are easily understood. You can learn a lot about the system and the way the criminal game is played in the courtroom without ever knowing you’re getting an education.
But it’s Ellie’s chase, her constant battle to figure out the clues and to deal with her boyfriend’s betrayal, that really drive this story. You never forget that Ellie is a woman, a real person, in addition to being a homicide detective. Burke lavishes detail without overwhelming the reader, provides machine gun fire dialogue riddled with fun pop culture references, and challenges the reader to a blistering mystery rife with danger.
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