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ZERO THE BONE
by Robert Eversz
Simon and Schuster, February 2006
288 pages
$24.00
ISBN: 0743250176


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Most mystery readers have several series that they faithfully follow. There are those that are so prized that even the stingiest of us will buy the book in hard cover upon publication. Even with the most favorite of our series, though, there is always the dreaded thought that creeps in to your head when you hear about the next book coming up: "Is this the one that's going to be the stinker?"

Well, Nina Zero fans, I'm here to tell you that ZERO TO THE BONE is not that stinker. In fact, I consider it to be the very best book of the five featuring our intrepid photographer.

Nina Zero's life has been anything but a bed of roses. Suffering from terrible abuse at her father's hands during childhood, she fled from home, served a stint in jail and eventually became a paparazza, with most of her work being used by one of the tabloid rags, Scandal Times.

Her work has finally garnered her some recognition, with an opening at an upscale art gallery. The joy of that event is greatly mitigated by a package that Nina receives, a snuff film showing the death of one of the models that Nina used for her photographs.

Why did someone send the film to Nina? Are they hoping that she will use the film to determine who killed her? As Nina soon finds out, the model, Christine, was no paragon of virtue. She lived on the edge, engaged in sadomasochistic sex and played around with some very dangerous people.

And those people are now the ones that Nina is pursuing and the ones that cause her and her faithful sidekick, a toothless Rottweiler by the name of Baby, enduring harm. On the flip side, the investigation has added another dimension to Nina's life in the form of Sean Tyler, a cop with whom there is an instant chemistry.

At the same time, Nina is dealing with family matters. Her 15-year-old niece, Cassie, is looking for a connection. Although Nina's teen years were anything but ideal, Cassie is an even rougher character, well-trained by her mother, Nina's sister, in the art of the con. Cassie decides that she wants to stay in the area and intends to move in with Nina's father.

The thought horrifies Nina -- her father abused all of the members of the family and was the direct cause of most of Nina's problems in adulthood. Cassie's situation pushes Nina and her father together.

It seems that the man has changed, that he genuinely regrets his past behavior. Or is that a con too? Is it possible that he and Nina will be able to coexist? Can Nina move beyond her victimization mindset and forgive him for all the wrongs that he did?

ZERO TO THE BONE is an incredible work of love and loss and hope and sacrifice. Eversz is a masterful writer who has created characters that come to life for the reader. He never takes the easy way out. The resolution of the book is extremely painful, yet extremely truthful, sad yet satisfying. ZERO TO THE BONE was a wow book for me. I expect that it will have a permanent place on my bookshelf of favorites.

Reviewed by Maddy Van Hertbruggen, February 2006

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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