As any suspense reader will tell you, one of the most perfect locations for murder is where the power in America is amassed at all times: Washington, D.C. This is most definitely a setting that delivers a good crime. This time out, fans have a new main character to meet and follow as she does her best to solve the crime of a Supreme Court Justice found dead as a doornail.
Her name is Melissa McGinty. A plus-size girl with brains, panache, and a boyfriend by the name of Mike, she also heads up The Amazon Detective Agency (named this because of all the smart, cool females who make up her staff). Melissa’s love of detecting began at an early age, when she sat with her father (also a detective) and watched the famous Sam Spade and others solve crimes and bring in the bad guys. Because her agency is still in its start-up phase, however, Melissa also had to take a job working as an overnight guard at the Supreme Court, joining their little known police department in order to pay the bills.
One night, she and her partner (a dog named Hergé who not only flunked out of the Navy SEALs dog program but also has a highly active bladder) come across Justice Oliver Wendell Oglethorpe who is stone-cold dead on the floor of the private basketball court inside the grand marble building. An idea creeps into Melissa’s head at the sight of this man: if she can solve a murder of this caliber, then she will become famous and turn her Amazon Detective Agency into a full-time, great-paying business. Trouble is, there are more than a few people (FBI agents by the names of Fu and Romero to name two) who do not want any help from her—especially once the case takes over the headlines and becomes a crime that could reach all the way to the top of the political ladder.
But Melissa was not raised to be ‘put in her place’ and begins her personal investigation into the crime. With the help of her colleagues, like Tesla, an expert hacker, as well as a Tarot card believer who tells Melissa that dangerous things are coming her way, and others, Melissa works to sift through the wealth of suspects. From activists to corporate executives who have a beef with U.S. political players in power, she and her crew do not give up until they uncover the ultimate criminal.
The story is a good one, and the reveal at the end is one that most readers, along with the main character, will not see coming. The only ‘hiccup’ for some who read this tale is the fact that editorial issues do crop up and the flow of the story can get a bit muddled at times. But, not to worry. Whether they be human or canine, the characters are well-done; and the plot, itself, holds the attention until the very end.
Quill Says: Fresh, fun characters immersed in a plot that only D.C. can provide!
For more information on The Amazon Detective Agency: A Murder Novel, please visit the author's website at: http://www.patrickoster.com
