Missing Justice (Samantha Kincaid Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Alafair Burke (Author)

Book Description

Series: Samantha Kincaid Mysteries | Publication Date: June 2, 2004

In the second entry in this "sharp, new crime series," the search for a missing judge leads Samantha Kincaid into Portland politics and a labyrinth of crime, corruption, and cover-ups
(Publishers Weekly)
Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid is back at work after an attempt on her life and a promotion into the Major Crimes Unit. When the husband of Portland, Oregon, city judge Clarissa Easterbrook reports her missing and Samantha is called out on the case, she assumes her only job is to make the district attorney look good until the judge turns up. When the police discover evidence of foul play, however, Samantha finds herself unearthing secrets that Clarissa had wanted to stay hidden, the lingering personal tolls of a crime that occurred decades ago. And when those secrets lead to the discovery of corruption at the highest levels of the city's power structure, Samantha realizes that her quest for justice could cost her not only her job but her life.
In the skillfully plotted, highly suspenseful follow-up to her acclaimed debut, Judgment Calls, Alafair Burke once again demonstrates that "she's got what it takes" (Michael Connelly). With its irreverent heroine and seamless blend of squad rooms, street scenes, and courtroom drama, Missing Justice confirms Burke's place among the genre's most talented and exciting newcomers.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Burke's lively second Samantha Kincaid mystery (after 2003's Judgment Calls), the Deputy District Attorney has just joined the Major Crimes Unit in Portland, Ore., when a local judge, Clarissa Easterbrook, goes missing and is then found murdered. As Kincaid sifts through possible suspects, she also adjusts to the personalities in her new office, including her surprisingly friendly supervisor. Evidence of the judge's affair with a politician and an increasingly confusing crush of contracts, judgments and financial papers make it difficult to believe that Kincaid would seriously consider Melvin Jackson, a poor black man, as the likely murderer. A former drug addict, Jackson was in danger of losing custody of his kids in a case Easterbrook was considering just before her death. Eventually, Kincaid turns to a more obvious source of trouble. Kincaid is an appealing if perhaps too familiar a type—a slightly seasoned, feisty woman who runs impressive distances and confides her endearing foibles to the reader. Burke does a good job of integrating the political and personal lives of her characters, with the detectives of the Major Crimes Unit being particularly well drawn. Witty and concise dialogue helps redeem the somewhat stiff plotting.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Clarissa Easterbrook was a judge in Portland, Oregon, and the wife of a prominent surgeon--until her lifeless body was found near a construction site at the city's edge. Samantha Kincaid, new to the district attorney's Major Crimes Unit, is assigned the case. When Samantha learns that Clarissa was having an affair, suspicion centers on the spouse. Could the doctor have been inspired to perform cranial surgery with a hunk of granite? But the forensic evidence forms a circumstantial case against a former drug addict who could lose his home and possibly his kids based on a ruling by the late judge. As Samantha digs, however, it seems less likely that this was a crime of passion or anger. The second Kincaid mystery by the daughter of James Lee Burke is a very clever whodunit long on red herrings, shadowy motives, and sly humor. The author's background as a former deputy DA in Portland lends gritty ambience to this modern parable of greed and ambition. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; First Edition edition (June 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805073922
• ISBN-13: 978-0805073928
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #180,931 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alafair Burke is the author of what the Sun-Sentinel has hailed as "two power house series" featuring NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher and Portland Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid. Alafair's novels grow out of her love for writing, her experience as a prosecutor in America's police precincts and criminal courtrooms, and her ability to create strong, believable, and eminently likable female characters. Dennis Lehane has called her "one of the finest young crime writers working today."

A graduate of Stanford Law School and a former Deputy District Attorney in Portland, Oregon, Alafair is now a Professor of Law at Hofstra Law School, where she teaches criminal law and procedure.

Alafair is often asked about the origin of her name. Alafair was named for her father's maternal grandmother. Now it is a name that belongs to her, two of her cousins, and, from what she can find on Google, ten cats, two dogs, an alpaca, and a boat.

She lives in New York City with her husband and beloved dog, Duffer.

Learn more about Alafair at www.alafairburke.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Sequel, November 2, 2004

By 

Untouchable (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Missing Justice (Samantha Kincaid Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Following on from her strong debut legal thriller, JUDGMENT CALLS, Alafair Burke has continued the Samantha Kincaid series with another intriguing story with MISSING JUSTICE. Samantha Kincaid is a Deputy District Attorney with the DA's office in Portland, Oregon and has just been promoted to the Major Crimes Division, the team that investigates and prosecutes homicide cases. She is thrown straight into the deep end with this case, her first after the trauma of the previous book.

The case starts out as a missing person case, made high profile because the missing person was Appeals Court judge Clarissa Easterbrook. Samantha is given the assignment of lending reassurance to Clarissa's husband. Townsend. It's not long before the missing person case turns into a murder case when Clarissa's body is found. The fact that it is a judge who has been murdered gives the case added importance and, for Samantha, added pressure. But this is the kind of case that Samantha thrives on and is eager to prove that she's up to the challenge that her new promotion has provided.

Although a suspect is charged and the legal proceedings get underway with Kincaid prosecuting, Samantha comes across evidence that casts doubt on her own case. Apart from the obvious problems involved with sabotaging her case, Samantha isn't quite sure exactly how it all ties together and so begins running her own investigation, by necessity without police help because by this stage it is officially a closed case. The progress she makes is slow and, at times confusing, and is also at the expense of a few high profile toes, arousing the interest of the DA, making for a few fiery confrontations.

This story boils down to one question: why would an Appeals Court judge be murdered? In trying to answer this question, Samantha will risk her career, her personal relationships and even her life in an effort to find out.

MISSING JUSTICE establishes the toughness and resourcefulness of Samantha Kincaid in numerous ways both large and small. From hustling down to someone's office after they've refused to take her phone calls to meet them face to face, to making plea bargain deals without consulting her boss, she's a rule-breaking breath of fresh air. Consequently, a lot of the drama is played out within the offices of the District Attorney as she settles into her new job. Her willingness to step outside the accepted boundaries normally obeyed by a Deputy District Attorney makes for a volatile workplace, but it's this characteristic that makes this book, and the ongoing series, enjoyable.

Insinuated between the time spent on the trial and the unofficial investigation is the further development of her romance with Major Crimes Unit detective Chuck Forbes, providing the romantic interlude that seems to be de rigueur for thrillers with female protagonists. It's a sub-story that serves to display Samantha's more vulnerable side. This, along with some touching moments with her father, helps to fill in her past a little more and I now feel as though I am tied to her more emotionally.

I found that as the case progressed it began to get very complex with the introduction of a lot of new names making it difficult to keep track of who was doing what to whom and how their inclusion fitted. At times I was scratching my head wondering why Samantha was getting so excited over a piece of information that seemed innocuous to me. What I'm trying to say is that it's essential to pay very close attention to the story and it's rather intricate plot.

MISSING JUSTICE is a solid sequel to JUDGMENT CALLS combining interesting and informative courtroom scenes, a strong point of Alafair Burke's, with an intricate plot and a thrilling ending. It's fast-paced thanks to the no-nonsense style of Samantha Kincaid and tempered with a sprinkling of subtle humour.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sam Kincaid rocks!, June 10, 2004

By 

Sam Fan (New York, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Missing Justice (Samantha Kincaid Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Based on the strong recommendation from Michael Connelly, I gave this book a try, and I'm definitely glad that I did.
Sam Kincaid is a tough Assistant DA paying her dues in the gritty world of crime and punishment in Portland, Oregon. She gets transferred to the Major Crimes Unit just in time to follow the trail of missing judge Clarissa Easterbrook. She uncovers a great deal of interesting facts along the way, which give the reader keen insight into the political and socio-economic realities of a growing city like Portland.
All the while, Sam manages to find time for a personal life made colorful by her friends, hunky boyfriend and supportive father.
The pacing of the story is great and accurately reflects the busy hum of modern life. All readers can identify with Sam Kincaid as she struggles to work hard and make a name for herself, but not become cynical and jaded. The verbal exchanges she has with co-workers (cops and lawyers) are tart and no-nonsense, reflecting the pressure of dedicating oneself to the cause of criminal justice.
Overall, I think the publishing community will be hearing alot from Ms. Burke in the near future. I liked this book so much, I just picked up her first "Judgment Calls" and can't wait to devour it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling Novel of Murder and Lies, January 4, 2005

By 

FictionAddiction.NET - See all my reviews

This review is from: Missing Justice (Samantha Kincaid Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Due to the recent death of the former supervisor, a domino effect of promotions has placed Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid in the Major Crimes Unit. She's just returned from a much-needed vacation following her last case with the Drug and Vice Division, which ended with a few dead bodies lying around her home.

Samantha's first case involves missing Administrative Law Judge Clarissa Easterbrook. It initially seems to be as simple as babysitting until the judge shows back up.

When the body is recovered instead, Samantha's in for more work than she bargained for. The distraught husband would normally be the key suspect, but the investigation turns the authorities elsewhere.

The evidence seems clear enough and the case appears to be open-and-shut. Samantha, however, gets some information that doesn't quite click and her plucky determination dictates she dig deeper...even if it's not what the boss wants.

Finding out the truth will effect more than just the outcome of the case. It will also reveal a secret that's been kept for several years within Samantha's own family...a secret that proves Clarissa's murder to be anything but routine and once again puts Samantha's own life in jeopardy.

Missing Justice is a compelling novel of murder, lies and dangerous hidden objectives that span decades. Samantha Kincaid is a no-holds-barred investigative attorney who shows the fiction world what a strong woman can do.