Night Work-Steve Hamilton

Night Work
Steve Hamilton
Dunne, Sep 18 2007, $24.95
ISBN: 9780312353612

In Kingston, New York, juvenile probation officer Joe Trumbull has spent the past two years buried in his work while he grieves the strangulation murder of his fiancée Laurel three days before their wedding. Though he still mourns his loss and believes he will compare all women to Laurel, Joe finally goes out on a blind date with Marlene. A few hours after their date ends, Marlene is found strangled to death. Not long after that he tries to help battered wife Sandy, who soon after his offer of assistance is found strangled to death.

The local police turn to the State for homicide detectives to investigate since the small department has no one capable of working a serial killer case. Joe being the obvious link between the murders is the prime and only suspect. He begins an investigation to find a killer before he is arrested.

This is an entertaining investigative thriller although fans of Steve Hamilton who know Alex McKnight will think Joe Trumbull is no Alex. The whodunit is cleverly developed especially the motive and the location on the Hudson is vividly described. However, Joe’s constant self pity becomes irritating and after a while he loses the empathy he had early on. Still this is an interesting stand alone tale of a man who is trying to return to the living when all he finds are deaths.

Harriet Klausner