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SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES
BY SANDRA RUTTAN
Review by K. Robert Einarson
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Reporter Lara Kelly is anxious to put her journalism career
on the right path. When a man shows up in her office with a
video that appears to show a woman falling to her death she’s
intrigued, but suspicious. The man claims he went to the police
and that they refused to investigate. Unsure if the tape is
a hoax, Lara proceeds cautiously. When she pulls together enough
evidence to print a story about an apparent suicide, the local
police captain is furious. Detective Tymen Farraday, the newest
cop in a precinct plagued by scandal and rumours of corruption,
is ordered to investigate and discredit the reporter if necessary.
When potential evidence is stolen and Lara is attacked, Farraday
is forced to put his grudge against reporters aside and work
with Lara to solve the murder while trying to protect her from
the killer. Just when they think they have the evidence to
arrest a suspect, two more murders turn the investigation in
an unexpected direction.
I first read SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES over two years ago when
Sandra set it down in my lap. My first thought was that I should
be supportive and tell her was good regardless what I really
thought. But as I read, I found myself drawn into this layered
story that had a large cast of realistic characters, a compelling
storyline and page-turning tension. It wasn’t until she
came up and asked me what I thought so far that I realized
I had been reading it non-stop and several hours had passed.
The story has gone through many revisions since then and has
become one of my favorite books. I really enjoy books with
a strong visual style to the writing and this book has this
in spades. The places in the book became so real to me that
I almost believed I had really been there. Equally impressive
is the large cast of well-developed supporting characters:
The loathsome David Douglas, the dark humor of Dr. Lessard,
and the lovable flawed cop Lenny Becker.
This is a mature debut that delivers a suspense-filled ride
that pulls the reader along to the thrilling conclusion. Plan
to set aside several hours before you start reading, you won’t
want to put it down until you’ve finished the last page.
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