Cruel Intent

January 26, 2009
Ex–TV journalist Ali Reynolds is trying to get her house remodeled in time for her son's wedding. But her contractor has been framed for his wife's murder by a serial killer who runs an Internet dating service for the unhappily married (thus providing him with adulterous victims). What's a homeowner to do but join forces with a hacker to find the killer? This dubious plot line isn't helped by several unconvincing elements (e.g., a car rental employee spots a tiny bloodstain on the carpet of a returned vehicle; Ali's elderly mom has just bought a taser). Broadway musical comedy star Karen Ziemba adds an upbeat vitality to her narration that underlines Jance's long suits—her smoothly flowing style and smart pacing—while breezing past the book's less than stellar sections. She most effectively catches the mood of the novel's most thrilling moments when, inevitably, Ali becomes a captive of the madman. A Touchstone hardcover (Reviews, Sept. 29).

In this fourth book of the Ali Reynolds series, Ali thinks she's finally left the fast-paced life of a television journalist behind as she gets situated into quiet Sedona. However, she's frustrated over the slow pace of her home renovations and the intrusion of the television film crew that is documenting the work. When her contractor's wife is murdered and he is the prime suspect, her only recourse is to help clear his name. Karen Ziemba keeps the plot moving at a quick pace. Her characterizations are comfortable, and the main characters, familiar. She matches the high energy level of her main character and moves the story along briskly. J.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine