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HOCUS
by Jan Burke
Simon & Schuster, August 1997
348 pages
$22.00
ISBN: 0684803445


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

When Frank Harriman's partner, Pete Baird, phones Irene Kelly to find out if her husband is there, Irene begins to worry. Frank, a homicide detective in Las Piernas California, had left home before breakfast, after a fight with her, and now, many hours later, even his police department colleagues have no idea where he is. He had gone to Riverside to see a snitch, a drug addict. It's now after dinner and Frank has not checked in all day.

The argument was about a story that had appeared in the newspaper that Irene worked for. A group called Hocus had been causing some trouble in Las Piernas and Frank was able to arrest two of the members. The story that appeared in Wednesday's newspaper quoted a department source , and Frank's boss accused Frank of leaking the results to Irene. Then they had the fight and Frank disappeared.

The snitch in found dead in his cabin. Frank's car is found in the paper's parking lot. There is blood in the trunk. Irene is worried. The LPPD suspects her, but they finally send a hostage negotiator, Tom Cassidy, to babysit Irene and try and figure out who kidnapped Frank and if he is still alive.

A phone call sends Irene and Cassidy to Bakersfield. Harriman was originally from that city and started his police career there. Irene and Cassidy reach an agreement and Irene does some research on her own, reporting back to Tom. We worry along with Irene and the rest of the friends and family that populate this novel. Evbuen though Irene can move around, the book has a claustrophobic feel because of Frank's situation. I had this one on my shelf for a long time, figuring I should read the earlier books in the series first. That's not necessary. This one stands alone.

Reviewed by Barbara Franchi, January 2002

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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