About
Reviews
Search
Submit
Home

Mystery Books for Sale

[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]


  

THE ONLY SUSPECT
by Jonnie Jacobs
Kensington, October 2005
359 pages
$23.00
ISBN: 0758208006


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Dr Sam Russell wakes up to find himself in a car in a ditch with no idea how he got there. There's a woman's shoe in his trunk, there's blood under his fingernails, a bump on the head, a bad headache, and his memory is a blank. He's been in AA and has been dry for years, but could he have gone on an alcoholic bender?

When he gets home and finds his wife Maureen is missing, things turn even more frightening. Seven years earlier his first wife, Lisa, also disappeared and later was found murdered. He had been put on trial for the crime and it ended in a hung jury. He was released, but the cops and others still believe he's a killer. He can't just simply report his second wife missing, as the nightmare of an arrest and trial for murder would start again, but this time even he doesn't know if he is innocent.

Sam realizes that if he doesn't create an alibi for himself, the police will consider him the only suspect. The cover story he puts together is shaky, but from past experience he's learned that the truth will sometimes get you locked up by mistake. Sam will have to find out what really happened, or else the police will arrest and lock him away for the crime. When he makes a surprise discovery about his wife Maureen, he soon finds that it's just the beginning of even more outlandish twists and turns, all of which might get him off the hook, or locked up for good!

Detective Hannah Montgomery is a good cop. After surviving breast cancer and suddenly becoming a widow, then finding out her husband had been cheating on her with her sister, Hannah changed towns to start out anew. When Sam Russell reports his wife missing and Hannah learns it's the second time it's happened, she wants to investigate the case with no preconceptions, but her partner Dallas has a long history with Sam. They went to school together and Dallas has hated Sam ever since and is certain he murdered his first wife.

Hannah tries to keep an open mind when Sam shows her evidence that his second wife Maureen had a secret, but her partner and the rest of the community wants Sam arrested. The real problem, she admits only to herself, is that it's been a while since she's felt so attracted to any man as she is to Sam and she finds that she doesn't want him to be guilty. Is she on the way to ruin her career, or will she find hard evidence that he is the killer?

THE ONLY SUSPECT by author Jonnie Jacobs starts out well. The writing is clear, the many blanks in the story are presented in such a way as to hook the reader's interest and the characters are expertly crafted and engaging. I found the thought processes and the logic of the actions of the lead characters grounded and realistic. I enjoyed the first two-thirds of the book a lot.

Unfortunately the story falls apart at the end. There are far too many outrageous twists and turns, all taking over the plot line while the most rudimentary investigative questions are ignored and overlooked by the police and by Sam. A first rate book for most of the story, THE ONLY SUSPECT was undone by too many unnecessary complexities at its conclusion. Ms Jacobs would have done better if she had kept the story simpler.

Reviewed by Sharon Katz, August 2005

[ Top ]


QUICK SEARCH:

 

Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]