Review of COLD PURSUIT by T. Jefferson Parker

Review of COLD PURSUIT by T. Jefferson Parker (see his website)

Hyperion, 2003

<MAP NAME="boxmap-p8"><AREA SHAPE="RECT" COORDS="14, 200, 103, 207" HREF="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" ><AREA COORDS="0,0,10000,10000" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/kisskillzapcom" ></MAP><img src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/rcm/120x240.gif" width="120" height="240" border="0" usemap="#boxmap-p8" alt="Shop at Amazon.com"> When Homicide Sergeant Tom McMichael gets the call about Pete Braga's murder, he can't help feeling a bit of pleasure. The McMichaels have hated the Bragas for years, ever since Pete killed McMichael's grandfather. Still, McMichael is a cop and he intends to track down the killer. The pretty nurse looks like a good suspect--her story about buying firewood and getting all of the missing property as gifts sounds a bit suspicious. But McMichael is attracted to the nurse and his gut tells him that she's innocent. Still, does he dare go with his gut, or should he trust the evidence?

Author T. Jefferson Parker (see more BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by Parker) delivers another exciting mystery. McMichael, with his conflicted feelings toward the nurse, his ex-wife, and the victim's daughter who was his childhood sweetheart and is single again, makes a strong and sympathetic character. A second case, involving smuggling contraband from Mexico adds complexity to the plot without taking the focus from Pete's murder. The nasty cops from internal affairs, sticking their noses into other cop's business feel authentic.

When I read my first T. Jefferson Parker book (see our review of THE BLUE HOUR) I suspected that I had found a real talent. COLD PURSUIT convinces me that I was right. It is a wonderful and authentic police thriller. Parker delivers emotional depth, thoughtful police work, and exciting action in a tightly worded package. If you haven't discovered Parker, you are in for a treat and COLD PURSUIT delivers. If you're already a fan, you won't be disappointed. COLD PURSUIT is fully up to the high standards that Parker has set for himself.

Four Stars

Reviewed 7/09/03

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