Customer Reviews

Silent Reckoning (Silhouette Intrigue)

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This is the second book featuring the character of Merri Walters. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, "Silent Weapon," (review still to come) but with this, I found myself wanting to throw it across the bedroom multiple times. Fortunately for my dog's not-so-steady nerves, I managed to control myself. I only threw it as far as the end of the bed.

When we last left Merri Walters, she was a filing clerk for the Metro Police in Nashville. She had just helped the police by going undercover as a maid to catch a killer. And Merri is deaf-an unusual character trait that drew me to the book in the first place. She was born with her hearing intact, but lost it during a bout with a nasty virus. She has since learned to lip read extremely well.

The second book picks up one year after the first one ends. In the intervening months, Merri has gone to the police academy, graduated and become a homicide detective. No walking a beat. No getting some on-the-job experience. No working her way up investigating lesser crimes. Nope, she hopes right from fresh out of the academy to a gold shield and the big time.

She's been on the job a couple of months when she is assigned her first partner, Ray Patterson, a man with less experience than her and who claims that he doesn't want to work with a woman because women are "too emotional." (Later, after Merri discovers he is gay, he tells her that the real reason he didn't want to work with a woman is that woman "spot the difference first." Sheesh. From one stereotype to the next.) Their first case is the murder of an up-and-coming young country music singer. When the first murder is followed by a second and a third, her boss and romantic interest in the book, Steven Barlow, recognizes that the pattern is identical to that of a serial killer who struck a number of years before.

So, here's new Chief of Homicide Barlow faced with his first serial murder case and to whom does he assign to the case? Why his newest and least experienced pair of detectives, of course-Merri and Ray. He says something about needing "newest and brightest" on the case. If it were me, I'd assign my best and most experienced. How did he get this job again?

From there, the investigation ensues. Merri's ex-fianc? is involved, as is a former one-night-stand of Ray's. In the end, the killer is, of course, discovered and brought to justice. And Merri is reconciled with Barlow.

But I almost didn't get that far.

The spunkiness that attracted me to Merri in the first book has turned into stupid pig-headedness in this one. She says things when she should hold her tongue. She charges into suspects' houses ignoring such trivial things as probable cause and search warrants and then casually dismisses Barlow's objections to such behavior. She behaves as no cop-or anyone who is in law enforcement-should behave. Her actions jeopardize the case the police are building against the guilty parties. She gets righteously, indignantly angry at every possible offense the suspects have committed. She has no range of emotion-she's either at 0 or 11. And since the book is from the first person POV (hers), we hear about it over and over and over and over again.

If I were a character in the book, I would throttle the silly little ... woman.

She is also hypocritical. She lectures Ray about lying to her-"partners need to be honest with one another"-and then she runs off to interview a suspect and doesn't tell Ray the whole story. She tells Ray that her personal life is none of his business, then on the next page, she is quizzing him about his personal life.

The thing that really did send this book sailing across my lovely king size bed, however, was the scene where Merri is outside a house watching a conversation occurring inside the house. It's night time, and she is hiding in the dark bushes on the far side of a pool area. Somehow, she manages to catch all of the words of a three-way conversation. Miraculously, none of the three individuals was standing with his back to the windows. They are all standing facing the windows because we know from previous chapters that Merri has difficulty reading lips when someone is standing in profile to her (which is entirely believable). And as we all know it so normal for three people having a conversation to not face one another at any time or move around or change positions.

This book is a definite pass. Read the "Silent Weapon" instead.

Merri Walters,30, story continues along with, now chief of homicide Steven Barlow, 36 her heartthrob.
Merri can't stand her boss's attitude of trying to protect her. Sure takes her nearly getting killed to realize how much he really cares for her. [Boy is she dumb].

Another one of these "strong", actually bullheaded females.

Steve informs Merri that she is inheriting a new partner that she must break in. One more junior than she in the Metro Police Homicide Force.

She seems to think she can handle this seriel killer after bringing down the Mob boss in SILENT WEAPON.

She and Detective Patterson are hot on the trail of two suspects, Rex Lane and Dr. Xavier Santos. Somehow they were connected to the murdered victims.

Merri was not happy about being put under the surveilence of Jamison who she ended up spotting as he was trailing her. Boy, does she have an ego problem.

You will not believe how complicated the plot gets. It is great. And, Oh, Oh, is Mason Conrad coming back?

Excellent plot, great characters, great action - come on Merri, there is more to life than a career job.

Definitely Recommended - may turn out to be a keeper set.

Merri Walters is deaf but that doesn't stop her from becoming a detective with Metro's Homicide Division. Merri uses her skill of lip reading to aid her in solving murders. The novel begins with Merri undercover as a prostitute as she tries to catch a cop-killer. The Chief of Homicide and her romantic interest, Steven Barlow, pulls her off of that case and has her investigating a possible re-emergence of the Starlet Murders, in which a serial killer had murdered potential rising stars in Nashville. Merri also picks up a partner for the first time- and he doesn't want to have a female partner! This is a fast-paced story and the 2nd in a series. Debra Webb fans will enjoy her latest effort!

In Nashville, former teacher Merilee Walters became a homicide detective though she is deaf. Currently she investigates undercover a serial killer. The case is quickly complicated by her new partner Ray Patterson who apparently loathes women especially as cops and therefore is unable to cooperate with her. Even more perplexing to Merilee is that the inquiries seem to lead to two prime suspects with both having close ties with her former fiancé Heath Woods whose girlfriend was the latest victim.

As the investigation continues Merilee also finds herself every attracted to her superior, Chief of Homicide Steven Barlowe. He would never break the code of ethics by seeing a direct reports individual. She may dream of her boss lying naked with her, but she too would never break protocol; besides stopping the murderer remains priority one.

Merilee is an intriguing police officer as she refuses to allow her deafness to stop her from doing her job and in fact applies her other senses to a much greater than normal degree in trying to solve the case. The who-done-it investigation is cleverly handled so that the audience observes the courageous intelligent Merilee seek clues. The three males in her life (the ex, the partner, and the boss) enhance the readers' observation of a strong detective.

Harriet Klausner