Book Review: Red Light

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Red Light     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
T. Jefferson Parker
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Police Procedural
Series: Merci Rayborn # 2
Hyperion, Apr 2000, $23.95, 384 pp.

A sergeant in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Merci Rayborn is a dedicated law enforcement official. She is an honorable person who believes her calling is to apprehend and bring criminals to justice. Although two long years have passed since a psychopath killed her partner and lover Tim Hess, Merci remains consumed with anger and guilt because he died protecting her. She is dating once again, going out with police officer Mike McNally, a kind person who wants to marry Merci and adopt her child. Merci cannot accept a permanent relationship.

Merci leads the investigation into the killing of high priced call girl Aubrey Whitaker. The homicide turns personal when Mike’s fingerprints appear in the home of the deceased. Mike admits he had dinner with Aubrey the night she was murdered. Merci digs deep inside herself in order to find the fortitude to make the inquiries that will prove Mike’s innocence, but each new clue points her towards the conclusion that her paramour is the shooter.

T. Jefferson Parker has written one of the better police procedurals of the first year in the new millennium. Fans of Ridley Pearson and Linda Fairstein will fully enjoy RED LIGHT because it is a novel that has as much heart as it does action. The heroine is a sympathetic character driven by emotional needs that the audience understands and empathizes with even though they will question some of her actions. The rich sub-plots add complexity to the fast-paced main story line. On a score from a high five to a low one, this book is a strong six.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner