The Alibi Man

Beth McDonald renders this hard-boiled detective fiction in just the right manner. She captures the weariness and cynicism of Elena Estes, a former Palm Beach County detective now on disability retirement. Yet she projects the character's softer side as well. The author's use of both the first- and third-person points of view makes listening difficult. In audio the switches are abrupt--especially when the narration goes from Elena speaking in first person to the author writing about her in the third person. The story focuses on the polo set of Palm Beach. A beautiful Russian groom is murdered, and a local socialite is the most likely suspect. McDonald has a little trouble with accents--specifically, her Spanish and Russian characters sound alike. R.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

February 19, 2007
Last seen in bestseller Hoag's Dark Horse
, Elena Estes, a former undercover cop turned PI, is devastated at the start of this captivating thriller when she realizes a body she finds in a south Florida canal is that of her friend Irina Markova, a beautiful groom with whom she once worked at a horse stable. Assisted by ex-lover Det. James Landry, the tough-as-nails Elena immerses herself in Irina's murder investigation. One of the suspects happens to be Bennett Walker, the ex-fiancé Elena hasn't seen in 20 years, who was previously tried and acquitted of rape and attempted murder despite her testimony against him. The suspense builds when Elena learns that Bennett is a member of the Alibi Club, a group of wealthy Palm Beach "bad boys" who cover for each other when trouble befalls them. Elena believes she can trust no one, especially after Russian mobster Alexi Kulak insists that Elena help him unearth Irina's killer. Elena, who eschewed her elitist Palm Beach family to preserve her integrity, is a heroine readers will want to see more of.