With Close Case Alafair Burke no longer needs to be identified as the daughter of James Lee Burke, "acclaimed crime writer." The acclaim is now coming legitimately on her merits, not on her father's. Unlike her father, She is not a Southern writer for whom "place" is vitally important. Her stories are set in the Pacific Northwest, but they could be in any location. Burke now lives in New York City, where she teaches criminal law at Hofstra University. A graduate of Stanford Law School, she was a deputy district attorney (DDA) in Portland, Oregon. Given the power of television, she is probably best known as a commentator on Court TV.
A prominent black reporter is murdered in front of his home one evening. The police obtain a confession, and a videotape and an eyewitness put the alleged perps near the scene of the murder, weapon in hand. But, was the confession obtained legitimately? Is the murder what it seems to be? Is the shooting of an unarmed black woman by a cop justified? Is there more to the "murders" than meets the eye? Of course, and the plot has more meanders and ox-bows than an old river as Burke leads the reader down numerous wrong streams.
A prominent black reporter is murdered in front of his home one evening. The police obtain a confession, and a videotape and an eyewitness put the alleged perps near the scene of the murder, weapon in hand. But, was the confession obtained legitimately? Is the murder what it seems to be? Is the shooting of an unarmed black woman by a cop justified? Is there more to the "murders" than meets the eye? Of course, and the plot has more meanders and ox-bows than an old river as Burke leads the reader down numerous wrong streams.
Close Case is the third book in the Samantha Kincaid series after Judgment Calls and Missing Justice. With each book, Kincaid, a DDA in Portland, Oregon [perhaps more than a hint that Sam is an alter ego for Burke] becomes more real, more fleshed out. She has become more human as our knowledge of her increases. She is more human, less perfect, than protagonists in other crime novels tend to be. She makes mistakes, which too often come back to haunt her.
Kincaid tries to balance her professional life and her personal life. Being in love with and living with a co-worker is fraught with difficulty, especially when the lover is a detective tied into her cases. Life can be a bed of roses with thorns, rather than blooms. In Sam's life, just as in real life, things don't always work out. Her life is, as the novelist Lawrence Naumoff said of the literary novel recently, "reality intensified."
Kincaid tries to balance her professional life and her personal life. Being in love with and living with a co-worker is fraught with difficulty, especially when the lover is a detective tied into her cases. Life can be a bed of roses with thorns, rather than blooms. In Sam's life, just as in real life, things don't always work out. Her life is, as the novelist Lawrence Naumoff said of the literary novel recently, "reality intensified."
Kincaid's distinguishing characteristic is her search for The Truth. This search is the genesis of most of the angst she endures personally and professionally. It is the source of the conflicts which drive the plot. She is an attorney who seeks the ultimate truth, not the truth which proves her side of a case. Of course, this places her in conflict with her boss, her colleagues, and the police officers, including her lover. But, that's not enough. Kincaid also speaks the truth, usually at the wrong time, to the wrong person, and that causes more trouble and further drives the plot.
Close Case demonstrates that Alafair Burke has found her voice as a first class writer of suspense. The novel is scheduled for publication July 6, 2005. A short book tour will follow. Read more about Burke and her books at www.alafairburke.com.
Close Case demonstrates that Alafair Burke has found her voice as a first class writer of suspense. The novel is scheduled for publication July 6, 2005. A short book tour will follow. Read more about Burke and her books at www.alafairburke.com.
