Finished 6-10-10, rating 4.5/5, mystery, pub. 2002

Book 3 of the Merci Rayborn trilogy (Book1 review) (Book 2 review)

Merci is a homicide detective with her eyes on the sheriff’s office someday.  This will be hard since decisions made a year ago (in Red Light) have alienated her from half of the police force of Los Angeles.  When a case comes in about a probable murder-attempted suicide involving a fellow officer Merci is reluctant to believe the officer guilty, even though evidence points in his direction.  When the officer survives, but with bullet parts littering his brain, the case becomes more complicated since he remembers little to nothing about the crime and what he does remember may or may not be true.

Merci is a single mom living with her toddler son and father and pining after her partner Paul Zamorra.  She takes a personal interest in the case and has to butt heads with the prosecutors to keep the officer out of jail.  I love Merci.  She is strong, wounded, complicated, and smart.  She is good at her job and unwilling to back down. 

I loved the way this book wrapped up.  I immediately looked to see what the next in the series was and…there isn’t one!  Not only that, but Parker doesn’t plan on writing more.  So, I went back and read the last chapter again and found it to be the perfect way to end Merci’s story. 

I highly recommend these three books for mystery and police procedural fans.

This was from my personal library.