Redemption (A Joe Burgess Mystery, Book 3)

December 19, 2011
In Flora’s middling third Joe Burgess mystery (after 2008’s The Angel of Knowlton Park), the Portland, Maine, homicide detective investigates the suspicious death of a troubled friend, Reginald Libby (aka Reggie the Can Man), whose body two young boys find near a wharf. Reggie, who was a former classmate of Burgess and a comrade in Vietnam, never fully recovered from the war. Survivors with possible clues to his fate include Reggie’s bitter ex-wife, Claire; his spoiled and abusive son, Joey; and his addled lover, Maura O’Brien. Threatening letters from Reggie’s weird cousin, Star Goodall, and hints of a part-time factory job Reggie was secretive about give Burgess more to ponder. Flora, besides belaboring the public’s poor understanding and opinion of cops, adds much extraneous drama (e.g., an almost grown son the father is unaware of) that weakens an already angst-filled story.