Deadly Triangle

February 1, 2009
When basketball player Brenda Spicer is found dead in a Northeast Louisiana University dumpster, police look first at premed student Ivrin Bolden, who has a history of angry jealousy over Brenda's relationship with his girlfriend Joel. Bolden is found not guilty of murder, but a few years later when Joel goes missing, the original case is reopened, and Bolden confesses to both killings. Journalist Parker has done her research, gathering information from court transcripts, police investigations, and interviews, but she doesn't put it together very well. The prose is often so flowery it interferes with clarity and makes it difficult to tell what is deduced by the author versus established fact. The stilted dialogue is obviously designed to get information to the reader at the expense of appearing realistic and developing the characters. Most true-crime readers can do without this one; of local interest only.Daisy Porter, San Jose P.L., CA

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