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CLEAN CUT
by Theresa Monsour
Jove Books, January 2004
357 pages
$7.99
ISBN: 0515137057


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

On the face of it, CLEAN CUT sounds like those ten a penny woman-cop-does-femjep whilst out to get a serial killer. But the back cover blurb is a tad misleading, and some strong writing and the focus on a handful of characters sets this aside from the bog-standard pack.

Paris Murphy is a half-Irish, half-Lebanese homicide cop in St Paul, Minnesota. She lives on a houseboat on the Mississippi and her marriage is distinctly rocky -- she and surgeon husband Jack Ramier are separated, but can't stay away from each other. Meanwhile, she is also being pursued by Erik Mason, an investigator for the medical examiner's office.

On the work front, Paris gets involved in a case where Finch, a young prostitute, is murdered. Paris knew the girl, and knew her history. She's determined to track down the killer, whose mark is cutting off his victim's hair. Monsour shows her hand early on and we are introduced to the murderer, a truly creepy plastic surgeon named Romann Michaels. From then on it's a traditional game of cat and mouse -- but one which will leave you gripped.

Monsour is a journalist and writes clean, disciplined prose. The action can be a little slow, but she does intensity excellently. There's a great scene between Paris and Michaels in a hotel as she struggles to entrap him without risking her own life.

Instead of a huge, sprawling cast where you can never remember who's who, Monsour focusses in on a handful of key people. We see a lot of veteran cop Gabriel Nash, Paris's partner who has known her since forever. And we hear about, but are never introduced to, Paris's huge family who seem to mean a lot to her.

Monsour hints at a religious strand in her leading character, and there's certainly plenty of Catholic angst dotting the plot, with Michaels bombarded by guilt. The ending has a slight feel of 'home in time for tea', but the book is a strong addition to the female cop shelves.

Reviewed by Sharon Wheeler, February 2004

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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