Red Light

Merci Rayborn Mystery: 2

ISBN: 0736660690 Order from:

A likable police procedural, with an appealingly vulnerable and capable heroine, and a tense if complicated plot, occasionally exasperating delays, and a satisfying ending.

Reviewed by David on March 19, 2004

Genre: Mystery (Police Procedural)

Synopsis: This is an unabridged recording of Red Light. Merci Rayborn is a homocide detective in Orange County's Sheriff's Department.

While still recovering from tha tragic loss of her partner, Merci is back to being the intelligent and capable investigator. All her skills and emotional strength are required when a pair of crime folders hit her desk. One is the murder of an expensive call girl, and another is an old unsolved crime from 1968.

As Merci's search leads to her beloved department, and men she loves and respects, both her reputation and life may be at stake.

Full Review: It's a good mystery, featuring a well-crafted main character, with a mixture of talent and determination on one hand and guilt and self-doubt on the other.

Merci is forced to deal with the pain of suspicion of her own colleagues, as well as a partner undergoing his own tragedy. As she struggles with hard choices, Marci's character becomes more appealing.

The plot is not without some flaws, particularly the improbably convoluted and wide-spread answers to some old mysteries, and the rather long period during which Merci is following the obvious clues rather than seeing through them.

Still, the combination of good characters and steadily accelerating action works well and results in a very enjoyable reading experience.

Overall: 6; Plot: 6; Characters: 6; Style: 6; World-building: 5.5; Originality: 5.5;

ISBN: 0736660690 Order from: