Red Line

Narrator Johnny Heller's gruff voice immediately draws listeners into the murder investigation of the Bus Bench Killer. When Oakland detective Matt Sinclair arrives on the scene, Heller's voice gives life to the hero. The story is contemporary, not noir, but Heller gives it an old-fashioned feel that fits the hero. Sinclair is troubled by alcoholism and determined to put red lines through closed cases. Heller shifts perspectives well as the story goes back and forth between Sinclair's investigation and the machinations of the serial killer. Thiem adds text messaging and TV news of the investigation to the mix, at times chillingly. Underneath, there's still a familiar yarn. Heller keeps listeners engrossed through the attacks on Sinclair's life to the final race against time. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

June 8, 2015
After a leave of absence due to alcohol abuse, Sgt. Matt Sinclair, the hero of Thiem’s riveting first novel, returns to the homicide division of the Oakland, Calif., PD, where he takes charge of investigating the murder of 17-year-old Zachary Caldwell, whose body was found at a bus stop. A medallion was around the boy’s neck, and his wrists and ankles were tied together with flex cuffs. Matt recalls an earlier case involving two drugged and raped teenage girls deposited at the same bus stop and also bound with flex cuffs, blaming himself for their assault due to his inattention at the time, a result of his insobriety. Several other similar homicides occur, each with a medallion left at the scene. Theim, a former homicide detective who served 25 years with the Oakland PD, skillfully guides the realistic action to the unexpected ending. Readers will want to see more of his richly drawn main character. Agent: Paula Munier, Talcott Notch Literary Agency.