The Second Goodbye

October 1, 2018
A couple of cold cases preoccupy spunky LAPD Det. Davie Richards in Smiley’s action-packed third Pacific Homicide novel (after 2017’s Outside the Wire). Davie efficiently nails the killer in the first case, the stabbing murder of a drug dealer, but the second one—the suspicious death of 34-year-old Sara Montaine—is less straightforward. Sara appears to have shot herself shortly after walking into a gun store and examining a gun while the store’s owner took a phone call in the back room. A photo that Davie examines shows Sara affixing a signature with her left hand, and the gun was found by her right hand where her body lay on the floor. Other evidence suggests it wasn’t a suicide. Davie displays her superior detective skills as she delves into Sara’s puzzling past, her family, and her interests. The suspense rises when an unknown party, fearful that Davie is learning too much, hires a hit man to follow her. A possible romance for Davie adds to the book’s appeal. Fans of realistic police procedurals with strong female leads will be satisfied.

December 1, 2018

When there are no active homicide investigations, LAPD Homicide Detective Davie Richards, a member of the Pacific Area division, works on cold cases. One involves the shooting death of a gang member, another is the supposed suicide of 34-year-old Sara Montaine in a gun shop. The investigating officer didn't believe it was suicide, and neither does Davie. Sara had come out of nowhere, married a well-off man, whom she nursed through a final illness and died without anyone seeming to know who she was. When Davie discovers Sara's true identity, it only adds to the case's confusion. Who else uncovered Sara's secret? In order to hide the truth, someone is stalking Davie. VERDICT Smiley's third intricately plotted procedural (after Outside the Wire) features an intrepid female police officer who will appeal to readers drawn to the teamwork and careful step-by-step exposition in other procedurals with female protagonists, such as Vicki Delany's Molly Smith mysteries or Linda Castillo's Kate Burkholder novels.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

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