Customer Reviews

Easy Innocence (Georgia Davis Mysteries)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I like cozy mysteries but I also like hard-boiled mysteries with tough female cops/private investigators and no one does this genre better than Libby Fischer Hellmann (the infamous Georgia Davis) and J.A. Konrath (yes, the author has made me fall in love with his Jack Daniels' series). Back to the author at hand. This book isn't for the faint of heart but it is one of the most realistic mystery novels I have read which is heart-wringing at times and Ms. Fischer Hellmann is brilliant at treating a subject which is by no means easy to talk about and giving it the right amount of oomph to keep the reader tuned but not too much to the point it just becomes gory or violent for violent's sake.

The storyline is tight, the writing and the prose absolutely without a doubt are stunning. I have two other novels by this magnificent author and can't wait to jump right in, including the newest "Set The Night on Fire"

This author is not only talented but can weave a tale so brilliant, James Patterson should weep. Congrats, Ms. Fischer Hellmann.

Author:
Death Wish: Book I (The Vamp Saga)
The Beautiful People series

It is easy these days to blame the mentally ill for crimes and there is no doubt that Cameron Jordan is mentally ill. There is no doubt that his finger prints were all over the murder weapon. The weapon was a baseball bat which, like Cameron, is covered in the blood of the deceased Sara Long. It didn't help matters that he was found kneeling over the body holding the bat by her teenage friends.

Georgia Davis, a former Chicago Cop is working these days as a private investigator. While the circumstances of her leaving the force are rather murky, it is clear that she has a number of enemies and few friends among her former colleagues. One friend in particular is concerned about the speed at which Cameron Jordan's case is moving through the system. He quietly refers Cameron Jordan's sister and caretaker, Ruth Jordan, to Georgia Davis for help. Motivated by disgust regarding the cases she has been working and a need to seek justice, Georgia Davis plunges into a world of rich and twisted high school students, their politically connected parents and murder where the odds are stacked against the truth.

This was my first exposure to Libby Fischer Hellman's work and it was quite the mystery ride. Georgia Davis is a multi faceted heroine with many secrets and issues and only a few were somewhat exposed in this novel. Unlike how many female private investigators are portrayed in mysteries where they either out drink and out cuss men or they are bumbling idiots more than ten novels later who still amazingly forget to take their gun to the abandoned warehouse at two in the morning, Georgia Davis is a normally intelligent human being who occasionally gets herself into situations any real person would and could get into while working the case. As such, she and by relation her world, are immensely believable and connect with the reader.

So too are the other characters as well as the descriptions of scenes set in and around the Chicago area. Then there is the interesting and complex case itself. Full of political intrigue, money and privilege as well as the universal problem of parents dealing with teenagers that are often taught by the educational system not to respect the authority of their parents, this novel works on many different levels while providing an entertaining read right to the last page. Much like Reed Farrel Coleman's "Empty Ever After" also due out in April from Bleak House, there is a same powerful poetic imagery at work here and yet the books are very different in style, tone and subject matter.

Hopefully this won't be the last of Georgia Davis because this novel just begins to scratch the surface with her and leaves a lot of questions unanswered. If, like me you are new to this author, it might be well worth looking up some of her other titles. I certainly plan too.

Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2008

Georgia Davis, a PI and former Northbrook cop, is hired by Ruth Jordan to prove that her autistic brother Cam did not kill the teenage girl he is accused of murdering.

Enter a high school world with snobbery, peer pressure, social cliques and envy and you have the setting behind this dandy story. Sara Long is murdered and the reader will be surprised to find out what is behind her murder.

Law enforcement agencies are pushing for a quick solution and guilty verdict against Cam but when Gerogia starts her investigation, we see that the DA's daughter was at the Forest Preserve when Sara's killing occurred. Could she, or Sara's best friend Lauren have been part of the hazing incident that spiralled out of hand?

Hellman writes a compelling story of what could go on in suberbia when parents of high school students ignore the children and assume that if they are not doing drugs then anything else is permittable. Getting ahead is the main activity of parents in the story, much to their shame.

Well done and should be subject mandated for incoming high school students.

Recommended!

Lauren and Sara are starting their junior year in high school, and the pressure is on. Not only is this the year that grades and test scores count, but juniors must pass muster from the senior girls or face a year of harassment. At the ritual power-puff football game that marks the beginning of the school year, the older girls single out Sara for a little "attitude adjustment." Sara ends up dead, and an autistic young man is jailed for her murder.

Private investigator Georgia Davis knows two things: Cameron Jordon has already been short-changed by the medical and social services systems and, in the wealthy Chicago suburb of North Shore, the police have found a perfect suspect in a young man who can't defend himself. What Georgia doesn't know: the risky business Lauren and Sara have set up for themselves in order to pay for their electronic gadgets, expensive shoes and designer clothes.

This is a gorgeous, tightly-written mystery. The characters are fully developed and the plot has delicious sub-layers running through it. I love the way the superb writing flows. If I had teen-age daughters, this book would make me very concerned about what they might be up to that I didn't know about. Even if you don't have teen-age daughters (or nieces, friends, etc.) I strongly recommended this book. Mysteries don't get any better than this.

by Sharon Wildwind
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

In Easy Innocence, the author skillfully unravels an intriguing yet disturbing mystery. Georgia Davis is a former Chicago Cop turned PI who's investigating what appears to be an air tight murder case. Sara Long, a seemingly sweet and innocent high school girl is found murdered. The suspect? A mentally ill man with a sex offending past and plenty of evidence against him. Georgia's not convinced, especially with the speed in which the case is being rushed through the system. As Georgia gets closer to the truth and uncovers more than one seedy operation, her life is threatened. It was easy to be drawn into the world of this book. The story, setting and characters were all authentic and believable. The clues really pulled you along and kept you interested right up to the thrilling conclusion.

This was a good read, I usually can read a book in one day, but this one kept my interest and drew out the reading pleasure. It jumped around a little too much for my tastes, but still managed to keep on track and keep the story flowing. I really didn't know who had done it until three/fourths of the book had been read, and then I went Oh, right. This is a nice interesting book, I can see it as a series. I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it, but would have bought it since I like this kind of story.

I received a free copy of this book for my review. First of all after being warned about the graphic content of this book and that it might not appeal to those of a sensitive nature, I was surprised to find that it not only wasn't graphic, but it didn't venture into any sensitive boundary issues. Yes, it deals with teenage prostitution, but the writer was able to describe and explain without many explicit details. The storyline of hazing in schools (and college) is one that needs to be aired, especially the fact that many parents/adults not only condone it, but also support it. Teenage Prostitution is not just a problem that involves the poor, vulnerable and abused of our society, it is also alive and kicking in the upper and middle echelons. Bored and cash needy teenagers opt to sell themselves for money and the illusion of power. The story was a good little crime/mystery, but I felt it could have been a little more nitty gritty. The writer could have explored both storylines a little more closely. At times the characters background information was lacking, perhaps because prior knowledge via other books by this riter is assumed.Easy Innocence

Though disturbing in its subject matter, this captivating mystery has just the right mix of suspense, reality and even a touch of romance.

A teen on the edge of the "In" group is brutally murdered in an upscale Chicago suburb. The cops and DA quickly pin the crime on a local mentally handicapped man who is found at the scene with the weapon in his hands and the victim's blood on his shirt, despite some obvious questions. Former cop and new P.I. George Davis is hired by the defense to get the real story and cast reasonable doubt. And she finds plenty to question - What were the kids doing in the forest preserve? Why didn't the police report mention that the prosecutor's daughter was present? Where did the victim get the money for designer clothes with just a minimum wage job?

This is a fast-paced, gritty story with several surprise twists. Hellmann does a great job of laying the foundation for the surprises to come. She weaves a logical story tangled in a web of lies and counter plots. While I did figure out a few key elements early, I didn't accurately identify the killer. Davis is a great heroine. She's smart, resourceful, and independent. I wish the "love" interest aspect were left out, however, as Hellmann didn't really explore this well and it was an unnecessary distraction. Also, I wish she had given us more detail about the original suspect. That seemed like an interesting story, but it just fell flat. Still, I got into the story quickly and found it compelling and hard-to-put-down.

Georgia Davis is a suspended Chicago cop turned private investigator. She is pulled into the case of a murdered teenager that appears to be a slam dunk. A mentally ill man is found at the crime scene with a baseball bat and covered in blood. However, the man's sister insists he isn't violent and couldn't have done this. Georgia's investigation turns up multiple twists involving possible corruption, high school hazing, and teenage prostitution.
Easy Innocence was well written and an enjoyable read with a likeable main character. I received a complimentary copy in exchange for this review.