Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Blue Justice-Illona Haus

Blue Justice
Illona Haus
Pocket, Oct 2007, $6.99
ISBN: 9780743458108

Baltimore Police Department vice detective Micky Lutrell is currently posing as a hooker busting Johns with her partner Detective Jack Macklin nearby. She catches the attention of Daryl Eugene Wardell who smells of pig and rides a red pickup truck. He has lesions on his arms, but that does not prevent him from kidnapping Micky as he done with scores of other women. He tortures them, rapes them, and incarcerates them in his pigpen in a remote area where no one else lives.

Detective Kay Delaney is in charge of the task force quickly assembled to rescue one of their own. Her old sergeant shows her files of missing and dead prostitutes with witnesses claiming the John smelled like a pig. Kay finds a DNA sample from blood on the ground where apparently Micky fought her abductor; it matches up with that taken from other rape and torture cases. Kay’s prime partner is her former lover Danny Finnerty. Both understand that time is running out for Micky and they must concentrate on finding her before they concentrate on dealing with personal issues.

The third Kay Delaney “blue” police procedural (see BLUE MERCY and BLUE VALOR) is a pulse pounding tale that keeps readers on edge as the action never decelerates while the clock is running out. Ignoring their awkward dysfunctional personal relationship, Finn and Kay make a great police team as they work towards one common goal, rescuing Micky; but in spite of their superior combined efforts to save a peer, the odds of success page by page shrink dramatically. Although Daryl is the typical psychopathic deranged serial killer even with his pig deodorant, BLUE JUSTICE will appeal to fans of Nancy Taylor Rosenberg and Patricia Cornwell, Illona Haus provides a strong suspense filled thriller.

Harriet Klausner

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