A SONG FOR YOU

A counselor turned detective searches for clues to an old murder.

Chloe Newcombe, a victim’s advocate in Cochise County, Ariz., is so disgusted with her new boss that she quits and goes to work for her former boyfriend, ex-cop Brian Flynn. Long ago, Rachel Macabee’s mother Annie was murdered in the mining town of Dudley, now an artist colony and tourist attraction. Annie’s boyfriend was tried and acquitted, but Rachel always felt he was innocent and the police rushed to judgment. Her trauma has defied years of therapy, and she’s troubled anew when she reads of a skeleton recently discovered in Dudley. A ring found with it points to a member of the band Annie sang with. After her mother’s murder, Rachel lived with her wealthy father and married an attorney who dotes on her. But the panic attacks persist, so she hires Flynn to look into Annie’s murder. Because Flynn’s busy with other work, Chloe takes the lead in digging up information on the people who knew Annie best. A free spirit, she had affairs with many men, including the married prosecuting attorney. Back in Dudley, where a second victim has exited and Rachel has returned, flashes from her past put her and Chloe in danger from a well-hidden murderer.

A thrilling chase marred by a disappointing finale for a charming, believable heroine whose detective skills grow in each new adventure (A Whole New Life, 2006, etc.).