PACIFIC HOMICIDE

By Patricia Smiley

LAPD Homicide Detective Davina “Davie” Richards finds herself on a moral line. She has just killed a suspect in order to save her partner’s life. While she’s waiting, more than a little impatiently for the shooting to be seen and ruled as being justified, she receives a call about a body found in the Los Angeles sewer system.

Davie goes out to investigate the crime, knowing full well that if she messes up she’s in trouble, as she can’t afford to make a mistake if she wants to keep her job. The fatality she discovers is a young Russian woman named Anya Nosova. But at the same time she’s making sure to keep things “by the book,” Davie is also being watched. Not by her superiors, mind you, or the press; Davie and her family are being watched by an enemy who wants to settle a score.

As she moves forward with the Russian’s murder investigation, strange clues come to light. Does this tie in with the investigation being done on her by newly appointed Inspector General Malcolm Harrington? You’ll have to read and see.

This is one of those high-quality plots, meaning interesting characters mixed together with technical details that, even though there are many cop books available, seem new to the eye. The playing out of both investigations, personal and the murder of Nosova, go well together, and the bits and pieces that come up throughout the book allow Davie to keep a fast pace when it comes to her work.

There is more police procedure to sink your teeth into, and Davie is definitely not your “usual” detective. “Pacific Homicide” is an excellent book about the emotions that drive some of the best policemen and women to go after their own justice, no matter what the cost.