Love in All the Wrong Places [Hardcover]

Frank Devlin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 19, 2004

Helen preys on single men on the make. Hoping always to find her perfect love, she is doomed to seek it in all the wrong places. She is intriguing, even sympathetic, but the men she chooses always end up dead.

As the number of unsolved murders increases, the San Francisco Police Department is under fire. Inspector Rose Burke-a savvy and experienced homicide detective, who is unhappy in her marriage and reluctantly pregnant-begins to see a pattern and, despite her personal problems, becomes relentless in her pursuit of the killer.

A thoughtful, psychologically acute suspense novel laced with unexpected plot twists and a shocking conclusion, Love in All the Wrong Places is nonetheless a vivid investigation of the mysteries of love and a page-turning ride through the human soul.

With this intriguing novel, Frank Devlin joins the company of superior crime writers like Dennis Lehane, whose novels reveal a deep fascination with people, their motivations, and inner turmoils.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Devlin introduces two intriguing, love-starved female characters—one a cop, the other a serial killer's wife—in this taut, stylishly written crime drama set in San Francisco. The wife is Helen, a bored-in-her-marriage, strikingly beautiful adulteress who lures single men into sexual liaisons, knowing full well that her husband, Jimmy, will kill her conquests. In pursuit of the killing team is Det. Rose Burke, a similarly complex woman, frustrated by her inattentive husband, unsettled by her pregnancy, still troubled by the death of her former partner. She's also a crafty, highly instinctual investigator who eventually keys in on tiny details in the string of murders and begins the arduous task of rooting out the killer. Devlin, pseudonym for novelist Tim Farrington (The Monk Downstairs), casts neither woman in a particularly sympathetic light, yet they are fascinating and somewhat disquieting to watch in action. Both are drawn in fine, telling detail; Helen's crushing depression and tormented background and Burke's ambivalence toward career, marriage and domesticity are especially well rendered. The plot's tidy, convenient finale disappoints, but Devlin's fresh approach to the genre makes him a writer to watch in his new fictional persona.
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From Booklist

Writing as Frank Devlin, Tim Farrington (The Monk Downstairs, 2002) turns in this literate tale of a sweetly sour serial killer named Helen and the salty San Francisco police inspector who must track her down through the haze of a midlife crisis. Rose Burke's last partner ate his gun after an attempt to protect her during a bust gone wrong. Rose's sensitive new sidekick may have a thing for her, and with her own marriage falling apart, she isn't quite sure what to do about that. Meanwhile, Rose is in hot pursuit of a woman who kills her dates but leaves their homes sparkling clean. Both Rose and her suspect prove compelling characters, although hell-raising Helen gets the most amusingly wicked lines. Maybe blond killers do have more fun. Devlin doesn't work particularly hard on the plot--a character breaks a hand in one scene only to shrug off the injury a few pages later, for instance-- but all's forgiven because the dialogue and descriptions show consistent flair. In fact, another visit from Rose would be pretty sweet. Frank Sennett
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (August 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399152237
• ISBN-13: 978-0399152238
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,432,097 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A novel that pulls no punches and tells it like it is, October 15, 2004

By 

Bookreporter (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love in All the Wrong Places (Hardcover)

She's beautiful, she's sexy and she's deadly. Helen Rainey has serious problems finding love. From the time she cradled her mother in her arms as the life drained out of her, to dealing with her father as a widower, Helen craves a love real enough to take away the pains of her losses. By now, her boyfriend Jimmy no longer fills her needs. So she is on the hunt, cruising bars and singles hangouts in search of a certain kind of man. Her good looks draw guys to her, but her sharp wit weeds out the ones who can't take it. With an acerbic humor, Helen is bitterly honest. And she is tenacious. Unfortunately, so many men she meets disappoint her. And disappointing Helen can be a fatal mistake. Upsetting Jimmy can be seriously unhealthy too. But for a psycho woman searching for the perfect guy, what better fishing ground than San Francisco?

SFPD Inspector Rose Burke is called to a gruesome death scene. Some of her police cohorts are voting it a suicide, but too much evidence points to homicide. Inspector Burke has an uneasy feeling about this one, but with the workload bordering on insanity, the investigation takes a back seat to more pressing --- meaning more politically urgent --- crimes. That is, until more bodies start showing up.

Rose has her own problems at home. Her husband Seamus seems to have lost his passion for her. She desperately wants some time alone with him, but between her job and his, they simply keep growing further apart. It seems almost natural, then, for her to turn to her unattached partner, Joshua. But it may be her dead partner who really comes between Rose and her husband.

Both Helen and Rose appear to be questioning their current relationships. Despite being on opposite sides of the law, there is an undeniable parallel to the two women's lives, a certain something that leads Rose to suspect Helen. And Rose is as tenacious as Helen.

Frank Devlin gives us a suspense novel with instant gratification: great characters, quick action, and a plot that speeds the reader to the end. Full of irreverent cop humor, LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES pulls no punches and tells it like it is.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

4.0 out of 5 stars A Real Gem, November 17, 2004

By 

A Discerning Reader (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love in All the Wrong Places (Hardcover)

This is an excellent police procedural in the serial killer genre. Devlin's characterizations are strong; and the main characters, though familiar in their outlines, have enough nuances to make them individual and three dimensional.

The writing is very insightful, and Devlin's analysis of the complexities of relationships is spot on target. The antagonists are real, with such tragic bends in their psyches as to render them pitiable while at the same time revolting. The backdrop in San Francisco is a nice change from so many stories of this type set in NYC. Devlin is an excellent writer and storyteller, and I eagerly await his next novel--hoping it's a continuation of the relationship between Rose, Joshua, Seamus, and murder.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Different and very interesting., October 18, 2005

By 

L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Love in All the Wrong Places (Hardcover)

Devlin employs an interesting style, as the two women are strong, interesting and almost equal protagonists in the story, yet opposite in their emotional core. There are a couple small holes in the plot, but the dialogue, descriptions and emotional involvement more than make up for them. The story stayed with me and left me thinking. Recommended.