Customer Reviews

The One That Got Away

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At forty Emma Price is pregnant but far from happy as she knows she is in trouble. Her film-making husband wants to end their marriage and her son Liam has been acting up lately. On the positive side, her former boss Dawn Prescott wants her back to work as an investigator in the New York's capital defender's office. She accepts the job though she has been away from the field for about a dozen years.

Emma teams up with Laurence Solomon working the case of teenager Loretta Picard charged with the murder of two police officers and the death of Beatriz Castillo. The latter was Emma's babysitter so she has personalized the inquiries into why the woman was found dead off of Coney Island. Then there is morning sickness, Liam's rebellion, and her worthless spouse to spice up any dull investigative day.

In her debut novel, Naomi Rand shows plenty of talent as she scribes an engaging police procedural story that hooks the reader through the interest in what happens to Emma. Though unacceptable reasons why Emma hid her conflict of interest hurt the plot, fans will want her to succeed and return for more stories with diapers too. Reminiscent of the movie Fargo but in New York, THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY is one that the audience will want to insure does not get away from their reading material as Brooklyn has not looked this good since Seagal or perhaps Kaplan.

Harriet Klausner

The lead character is someone every babyboomer mom will recognize (ie, she's just like most of us!) except that she's got a bum for a husband and a far more interesting job: a crime investigator who's trying to solve the murder of her son's babysitter. The plot is complex and clever, but the real draw here is the literary quality to the writing and the complexity of the characters. Loved it!

With sharply drawn characters and layers of complexity, The One That Got Away kept me up late reading to see what would happen next. What did a woman shot by the side of the road in New Mexico have to do with the deaths of two policemen in a seemingly open and shut case - or for that matter, the drowning death of Emma Price's babysitter? And Emma Price made a wonderful heroine, too. It's not like she knows karate and can hack into a computer with one hand tied behind her back. Instead, she puzzles it out along with the reader - and I certainly enjoyed going along for the ride.

This book is a great read. The mystery is interesting and involving, however, Rand is particularly astute in her observations about family life. Emma Price's relationship to her son, Liam, is particularly sharply etched and authentic seeming. Readers of literary fiction will find as much to admire here as mystery readers will. It transcends the genre. I hope there are more Emma Price mysteries planned.

Emma Price is a strong, convincing character with enough vulnerablity to make you root for her. This mystery is set in the hip, dangerous world of New York City, which the author describes with great detail and authority.You'll worry about Emma, her failing marriage, and its immediate effects on her beloved son, Liam. I found myself nervously flipping through the pages wanting things to work out for her. I'll have to buy the next book just to make sure.

This is a pageturner that will keep readers riveted as Emma Price tries to solve a murder that's hit close to home while trying to keep her life from falling apart. Details of family life ring true, as does the welldrawn New York setting. Terrific summer reading, and an impressive debut for author Naomi Rand.