Stacey Shaw is
leaving work late. After an unpleasant encounter with a co-worker,
she gets to her car only to find it won’t start. Things were
going well. Her husband, Michael, will soon be home, and she’s
excited about the baby. Michael calls while she’s in the car, but
not wanting to disturb him, she doesn’t tell him it won’t start.
She decides to walk home through the park, but never reaches the
other side.
Jack Stratton wants
to be a policeman. He was a foster child, dumped by his mother. It
makes him feel like he’s no good. To relieve his feeling of inferiority,
he wants to help people.
A boy in the
neighborhood where his foster mother, Aunt Hattie, lives, is arrested
for Stacey’s murder. This is one person Jack doesn’t want to
help, but Aunt Hattie convinces him to try. Unfortunately, this puts
Jack in conflict with Detective Vargas, the detective investigating
the case, and nearly lands him in jail.
If you enjoy Jack
Stratton novels, this is a must read. Seeing Jack as a teen, gives
you an enhanced idea of his character. Jack and his friends, Chandler
and Kelly, are well fleshed out characters. The author makes the
teenagers come to life and the dialog is realistic.
The plot will keep
you guessing and rooting for Jack. He’s up against a detective who
doesn’t want assistance from a teenager and is ready to toss Jack
in jail to prove it. The scenes between Jack and Detective Vargas
felt very much like a contest between good and evil.
I recommend this
book if you like a good mystery where the clues have to be teased out
and don’t just fall into the hero’s lap.
I received this book
from Net Galley for this review.
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