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THE SECOND GIRL
by David Swinson
Mulholland, June 2016
369 pages
$26.00
ISBN: 0316264172


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

In a new series by David Swinson, the lead character is a surprising choice. He's a well-worn veteran detective of the Washington DC police force who's "retired" due to a unfortunate lifestyle choice. Frankie Marr is a drug addict. That doesn't mean he isn't a good detective; he's one of the best in the city, but now he's working on the outside.

When Marr breaks into a drug house that he's had under surveillance (to feed his own habit), he makes an unlikely discovery. Casing the joint, he finds a young teen clad only in her underwear chained to the bathroom floor. While it's certainly inconvenient for Marr, he does the right thing and rescues the girl. Now, however, he has an even bigger problem than trying to explain his break-in to DC cops. While seeking to extricate himself from this potential problem, the family of another missing girl from the same suburban Virginia town wants to hire Marr in the hope that he can find their daughter as well.

He's got to be careful not to step on anyone's toes--his former DC colleagues, the Feds, the suburban police department--while still solving the case, all the while trying to keep his habit and behavior in check. It won't be easy, but if anyone can manage all that, it's Marr.

This viscerally told story is completely engrossing. While Marr is nearly an anti-hero, readers are immediately immersed in his world, and it's almost impossible to put the book down once begun.

Swinson's writing is perfect, tough and gritty, dropping Marr into nearly impossible situations then letting his character use every bit of street smarts and investigative wisdom he's earned over the years on the force to wiggle his way out of trouble and solve the case.

Swinson is the kind of author who can take an unlikeable character and make his readers care deeply about him. After THE SECOND GIRL, it's nearly certain that readers will be waiting with bated breath for the next book in the Frankie Marr series.

§ Christine Zibas is a freelance writer and former director of publications for a Chicago nonprofit.

Reviewed by Christine Zibas, July 2016

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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