|
[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
The one constant in Louis Kincaid's life has been inconstancy. Put into the foster system as a child, he has had a very rootless life which has continued into adulthood. As Paint It Black opens, he has moved from Michigan to Sereno Key, Florida. There are many allusions in the book that lead to the conclusion that he experienced a lot of trouble in his professional life in Michigan. Those readers who have read Dead of Winter will understand what is being referred to. I'm not so certain that people who have not read that book will grasp what happened in Louis' life in the past. At any rate, Louis is no longer a cop. He is asked by an old friend to assist in the investigation of the murder of a black man whose face has been defiled and whose body has been sprayed with black paint. When other murders occur, it looks like a serial killer is at work. The police of Sereno Key are ill prepared to handle these cases, their expertise being around the more usual criminal behavior of an established population. Louis is hired by the wife of the dead man since she is the prime suspect. Eventually, he is employed as a consultant by the police and assists them in working the case. He feels that he has been hired because he is black, as are the victims, which doesn't sit well with him. At first it's difficult for him, as he is used to standing behind a badge. Going private puts different parameters on what he can and can't do. As time goes on and Louis settles in, we see that he is indeed extremely competent at his job. The person that he reports to is experiencing problems of his own and often just walks away from the investigation. The other member of the team is an FBI profiler by the name of Emily Farentino who has zero street experience and is very petite, which does not exactly inspire confidence in those around her. One of Parrish's great strengths is her ability to create these fallible, flawed characters and have them behave in believable ways. The reader cares about these people because they are not perfect. The only character that didn't ring true to me was the killer who is essentially a deranged caricature whose motivations I had a hard time comprehending. This is a series that I enjoy, and Paint It Black, the third book in the series, does not disappoint. In addition to the excellent characterization, Parrish excels at pacing and keeps the book moving along briskly. In addition, looking at the world through Louis' eyes exposes the readers to some racial attitudes that cut deep. At the book's conclusion, Louis has to face up to things about himself that he'd rather not look at. Will he finally put down some roots and make a commitment to building a life? Or will he continue to run away? We'll have to wait (impatiently) for Book 4 to find out. Recommended.
Reviewed by Maddy Van Hertbruggen, April 2002
[ Top ]
QUICK SEARCH:
Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]
| 
