The Blood Whisperer

May 30, 2016
Kelly Jacks, the heroine of this disappointing standalone from Sharp (Absence of Light and 10 other Charlie Fox novels), used to be a London crime-scene investigator, renowned for her ability to tease meaning out of evidence, but after a stint in prison for a murder she didn’t commit, she’s now demoted to cleaning up crime scenes with her young partner, Tyrone Douet. On a routine job—mopping up a posh house after its wealthy owner ended her life via rifle—Jacks questions the cops’ conclusion of suicide, going so far as to convince the widower, Matthew Lytton, that his wife’s death may be more complicated. It’s all downhill from there. At their next crime scene, Jacks is momentarily incapacitated—with ketamine, she later learns—and when she awakens, Tyrone is dead and she looks guilty. Jacks runs both to clear her name and uncover the conspiracy that wants her put away. In what amounts to a book-long chase scene involving lots of angry Russians and several shady cops, this thriller is less cat and mouse than repetitive cat circus.

Sharp (Absence of Light, 2016, etc.) introduces an intriguing new character in her latest action-packed thriller.Kelly Jacks works for McCarron Specialist Cleaning Services, a company that specializes in doing what nobody else wants to do: clean up the evidence of a crime after the police release the scene. But Kelly isn't an ordinary cleaner. She just got out of prison after serving time for murder . Six years ago, she was accused of killing Callum Perry after she was found passed out at the bloody scene of his slaying. At the time, Kelly worked as a crime-scene specialist, and blood spatter analysis was her forte. And that's why, when she cleans a bathroom where a very rich woman supposedly committed suicide by shooting herself, she notices discrepancies in the blood spatter pattern. She notifies her boss, Ray McCarron, who's a retired cop, and while she and her partner, a kid named Tyrone, wait for some word from the police, she meets the woman's husband. Turns out, the police have closed the case, but Kelly still feels like there's something wrong and doesn't let it go. That starts a chain of events that involves a terrible beating for her boss, the murder of someone close to her, and a nosy detective named O'Neill hot on her trail. Kelly's an interesting character--older, wiser, and tougher as a result of the six years she spent in prison for a crime she can't remember. She's determined to get to the bottom of everything that's happening to her and the people around her but is up against forces she can't possibly combat alone. The premise is interesting, but the book is marred by unlikely and abrupt, albeit convenient, alliances and lots of dithering on everyone's parts about what to do next. This tale's too long by at least a third. Kelly Jacks is a real keeper in this book bursting with bondage, Russians, evil crime lords, and corruption. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2016
As a crime-scene tech, Kelly Jacks' abilities earned her the moniker Blood Whisperer. But when she was found crouched next to a viciously stabbed man with a knife in her hand and no memory of the murder, the nickname took on a new meaning. Tried, convicted, and now freed from prison, Kelly is working as a crime-scene cleaner when she spots clues suggesting that an official suicide is murder. Unable to let the mistake stand, she runs the evidence by police and awakens enemies. Once again, Kelly wakes up next to a body; this time, it's her friend and partner, Tyrone. Barely escaping before police descend on the scene, Kelly goes on the hunt for the killers who put her in prison once and seem determined to do it again. Fans of Sharp's Charlie Fox series will recognize her deft hand with sharp, unbreakable female characters. Recommend this thriller confidently to fans of Harlan Coben and Lee Child. Sharp deserves the same kind of mass audience those writers have generated, and it's baffling why she doesn't have it (at least not yet).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)