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CROSSBONES YARD
by Kate Rhodes
Minotaur Books, January 2014
320 pages
$14.99
ISBN: 1250038197


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

In her first novel CROSSBONES YARD, author Kate Rhodes introduces readers to London-based psychologist Alice Quentin, a petite, 32-year-old woman with an intelligent mind, an independent spirit, and more than a little psychological baggage. An abusive childhood during which both she and her mother were battered on a regular basis by an alcoholic father has left her with claustrophobia and a fear of commitment. Alice relieves her tension by running, and her runner's eye view of the streets of London provides an interesting backdrop to the story. Early on, we are introduced to Will, Alice's schizophrenic brother who was a passive witness to the violence perpetrated on Alice and her mother; Lola, a beautiful struggling actress who is Alice's best friend; and Sean, Alice's current lover who is at the point of angrily demanding more commitment than Alice is willing to offer.

Morris Cley, a man who had been tried and convicted for the rape and murder of a prostitute, is being released from prison, and Detective Chief Inspector Don Burns calls upon Dr Quentin to help determine just how closely the police need to watch him once he is released. Cley had been loosely associated with the notorious Bensons, a married couple who had been found guilty of the ritualized torture and murder of at least thirteen young girls. Coincidentally, Alice resembles Cley's victim. DCI Burns is taken with Quentin's forthright, professional assessment and states his intention to ask for her again for future consultations.

The stage has been set. After an angry spat with Sean, Alice takes to the streets to run off her tension, but instead discovers a dead body near Crossbones Yard, the site of a graveyard in which hundreds of prostitutes had been buried from the middle ages through the mid-1800s. Upon investigation, police determine that the murder victim was subjected to torture which was startlingly similar to that inflicted by the Bensons on their victims. DCI Burns calls on Alice to help develop a psychological profile of the killer, and in the course of the investigation, she becomes intrigued by the exotically handsome lead investigator, detective Ben Alvarez.

Quentin is surrounded by unpredictable people who all seem on the boil. Will swings between sweetness and borderline violence, Ben Alvarez is fierce and mysterious, erstwhile lover Sean is furious about his break-up with Alice, and convicted rapist and murderer Morris Cley is on the loose. Adding to the tension is Quentin's total disregard for her own personal safety despite signs that she is in danger.

All of the pieces are in place for a gripping tale of suspense, and for a first novel, Rhodes does a fine job of developing an interesting story. However, CROSSBONES YARD is not entirely successful. The main characters are not sufficiently developed to draw the reader completely in, and most readers will quickly figure out where the story is headed. Alice Quentin has the potential to be a strong, intelligent female lead, but her behavior is often frustratingly at odds with her intelligence, and Rhodes can't resist alerting the readers in various scenes with some version of "I should have known better, but…." That said, this is a first novel, and Rhodes is skilled enough to add dimension to the characters she has introduced to readers. CROSSBONES YARD is a quick and entertaining read, perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

§ P.D. Crumbaker lives in Tallahassee, Florida, where she works as an editor for a legal publication.

Reviewed by P.D. Crumbaker, January 2014

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