Regrets Only

May 15, 2004
Lucy O'Malley, born and raised in an Irish Boston family, became a cop just like her father, but instead of staying near home, she is starting her career in Philadelphia's homicide department. After beginning a relationship with Archer Haverill, a Philadelphia blue blood, Lucy lands her first case when her new boyfriend's estranged birth mother, Morgan Reese, now a prominent psychiatrist, is murdered. Of course, suspects abound: Dr. Reese specialized in treating children and had her share of psychotic ex-patients; her colleagues were jealous of the prestigious position to which she was about to be appointed; and she had just informed an ex-lover, who married well and would like to stay that way, that she never did have that abortion all those years ago. Lucy's investigation puts her at the center of a high-society drama, where not even her cop's instincts might be enough to save her completely. Lucy makes a likable heroine, and Geary's blending of a psychological thriller with classic police procedural produces a crime novel with appeal to fans of both subgenres.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)