by Tom Casey
Heresy Press
book review by Philip Zozzaro
“Like it or not, there is a relationship between a killer and a cop, and it is personal.”
Detective Gerard Mallory has reached out to Dr. Caroline Singer for professional help for a troubled man named Bradley Davis. Davis has been caught peeping into the house of a local citizen, and Mallory believes therapy will aid Davis in overcoming his problem. Davis is a single young man who works as a librarian but is viewed as a disappointment to his oppressive mother. Davis acts out by engaging in voyeurism. Davis is interested in a woman named Grace, whose life is about to come undone dramatically. As Davis begins his sessions with Dr. Singer, Mallory can devote his efforts to finding a killer. A woman named Ann Wallace was found murdered, and the crime was particularly brutal. The motive is unknown, and the possible suspects are limitless. Mallory has his work cut out for him.
The lives of citizens in a small Connecticut town are anything but simple in this enchanting book. The focus of the story shifts between Mallory, Davis, and a few other notable townies, but there is a rising tension that permeates each chapter. Mallory is a tenacious investigator with a discerning eye. He is haunted by the elusive mystery. Bradley Davis is a troubled soul in need of a guiding hand before it’s too late. The dysfunction hovering over suburbia is not exclusive to the life of a cop or a voyeur, as the story’s drama encapsulates the dissolution of two prominent couple’s marriages. The characters are well-developed, and the plot’s pacing is consistent, with more than a few surprises thrown in to make for a fulfilling read.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
US Review of Books 