Five Star First Edition Mystery - When Kindness Fails [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Fackler (Author)

Book Description

Series: Five Star First Edition Mystery | Publication Date: August 2, 2003

El Paso detective Devon Gray is involved in a murder investigation that leads to kidnapping and his subsequent suspension from the police force. This emotionally catapulting sequel to the critically acclaimed Patricide proves once again, by following Devon's uniquely convoluted tracks, that crime doesn't pay.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Devon Gray, El Paso police detective, is the kind of guy you can't help falling for, but sometimes you hate yourself for giving in to his charms. In this sequel to Patricide (2000), Jay, the ex-husband of Devon's girlfriend, Samantha, appears at Devon's doorstep. In deference to Samantha, the jealous detective agrees to help Jay find his missing girlfriend, Lisa, who turns out to be the unidentified murder victim whose case Devon is currently investigating. The trail takes the detective near the Mexican border to Chinati to investigate Lisa's powerful ex-husband, Sergio. Displaying the contradictions that define his character, Devon reacts with horror to Sergio's abuse of teenagers yet fails to recognize that his own treatment of women is appallingly chauvinistic. First-rate suspense combined with Fackler's nuanced portrayal of a charismatic yet deeply flawed hero make this a compelling series. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"First-rate suspense combined with Fackler's nuanced portrayal of a charismatic yet deeply flawed hero make this a compelling series."
-- Booklist (Booklist )

"...an exciting police procedural that contains twists and turns including one shocker of an ending ..."
-- AllReaders (UNKNOWN )

"...action packed ..."
-- New and Used Books (UNKNOWN )

"...fans will enjoy this terse thriller and want to read the prequel Patricide."
-- Harriet Klausner Book Reviews (UNKNOWN )

Product Details

• Hardcover: 314 pages
• Publisher: Five Star; 1 edition (August 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786254432
• ISBN-13: 978-0786254439
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,642,619 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars exciting police procedural, October 1, 2003

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Five Star First Edition Mystery - When Kindness Fails (Hardcover)

El Paso Detective Devon Gray is assigned to investigate the stabbing murder of a Jane Doe near the river. After completing his shift, he heads home where his live-in lover Samantha is hosting her ex-husband Jay Leher. Jay claims he drove not stop from Los Angeles because his girlfriend fled LA before calling him to tell him to forget her. Jay knows she is in trouble. Devon uses his connections to learn where Lisa Scobar was staying, but when he sees her photo he knows he has found out the identity of Jane Doe.

Devon travels to Chinati, Texas where Ranger Prairie Drake accompanies him; this is her first case. They visit Lisa's husband Sergio Tierrasantas, a wealthy man who lives like a warlord. When bad things start happen to people he cares about, Devon goes over the edge using excessive force, leading to a suspension and a job working for Sergio. As he spies on the power lord to try to bring him down, Devon finds his adversary quite a foe, making the cop wonder if he needs to cross the line to stop his enemy.

This is an exciting police procedural that contains twists and turns including one shocker of an ending. The story line is action packed yet in some ways low keys the investigation, which adds to the overall flavor. Though the relationship between the Texas Rangers and the city police is never fully explained except one on one in the boudoir, fans will enjoy this terse thriller and want to read the prequel PATRICIDE.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting page-turner with a shocker of an ending!, September 16, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Five Star First Edition Mystery - When Kindness Fails (Hardcover)

This book starts an avalanche with the first page and tumbles like a runaway train to the shocker of an ending, which hits the page like a fastbound freight! I was amazed at how involved I became in Det. Gray's struggle to make sense of it all, and how punched in the gut I felt at his final solution. I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel. There wasn't a misstep in the author's telling of this exciting story.