IN THE WIND

An ex-cop turns private eye, investigates a murder close to home and hates the answers.

Anni Koskinen is a rising star in the Chicago PD until she makes the mistake from which few ever recover: She rats out a fellow cop. Never mind that he’s a notoriously bad one. What matters is that she broke ranks. Suddenly she has no friends, no rabbis, no backup in time of need and no choice but to resign from the job she’s always loved. Fortunately, however, she does have non-cop friends. Among them are Jim and Nancy Tilquist, a couple who have always been kind to her and her autistic brother. Through them, Anni lands a high-profile case that involves sweet-faced, motherly Rosa Saenz, long sought as the killer in a 30-year-old homicide. Anni finds it hard to believe Rosa could kill anyone or that she was once radical firebrand Verna Basswood. What’s even harder to come to terms with is the identity of the victim: FBI Agent Arne Tilquist, the father of FBI Agent Jim Tilquist, her benefactor and mentor. As her investigation deepens, Anni confronts a series of increasingly painful questions. Does she really want the case solved?

A splendidly complex protagonist hampered by a plot that too often bogs down in back story. Look for Fister (On Edge, 2002) to do much better with her third.