|
[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
Jake Hines is a multi-ethnic police detective working in a small police department in Rutherford, Minnesota. He was introduced in Triple Play in 1997 and has shown some fine development since that initial novel in this the third book in the series. He is now the chief of detectives, managing a team of investigators. On the personal front, he is living with Trudy Hanson, the photographer and finger print analyst with the state crime lab. They're renting a large old farm; and in addition to his detective duties, Jake is responsible for maintaining a cozy home. Jake and his friends are playing cards on a wintry night when the call comes in. The first DOA of the year is awaiting him near a highway overpass. It's an odd death in that the victim is not wearing a shirt or shoes, there are no noticeable prints around the body and there's a small bullet wound in the head. The fact that it's a murder and not a suicide means that the police in St. Paul will need to be involved since Rutherford, is not large enough to have DNA labs, blood spatter analysts and other tools to assist in the investigation. It turns out the victim is a man named Wayne Asleson who was a truck driver. What's missing from the crime scene is the truck that he was driving as well as his partner, Roger Carr. When the truck is found, the trailer is missing with its cargo of expensive music equipment and the front is full of blood. From that point forward, Gunn takes us through all parts of the police procedure-keeping the essential records, logging in the evidence and managing the investigation. In addition to having to direct the inquiry, Jake has to consider the strengths and deficiencies of each member of his team and develop their skills as well. He's got to deal with their problems as well as their egos. And this investigation is not a simple one. There are several angles that need to be followed. Was the partner, Roger Carr, killed? If so, where is he? Was the murder committed in order to steal the truck's cargo? Or was something more human involved, greed or jealousy? The team chases a lot of dead ends. Gunn does a great job in developing the various characters and depicting the duties of a detective team. The character of Jake, in particular, is very well drawn. He's a man who is sensitive but no-nonsense when he needs to be. I appreciated the fact that the book was not padded to expand its length (under 200 pages) as so often happens in books these days. The only puzzle that is still unsolved in my mind is the meaning of the title, since poker playing has nothing to do with anything that happens in the book. Gunn is a talented writer, and I recommend this series.
Reviewed by Maddy Van Hertbruggen, June 2003
[ Top ]
QUICK SEARCH:
Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]
| 
