Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Danielle Girard may not be a household name but she has developed a considerable following in the genre of police procedurals. This book, 'Exhume', is further justification of her status as a fine writer, even though no such justification is really needed. For those who don't know, Ms. Girard has published several novels over the past fifteen plus years, a point which was not lost on me. She has published another series (The Rookie Club..) which consisted of five novels in sequence, the first one of which is 'Dead Center' which you can find at this link: Danielle Girard. I was lucky enough to read three of the five in that series... and the remaining two are still on my reading list. I never follow series' to their conclusion unless the writing is well done and interesting. These were, so I fully intend to complete it by reading those last two books. This book, 'EXHUME' is the start of another series. While the first series featured a beat cop, this book (and I suspect the entire series..) features a ME (medical examiner..) who has a history that follows her. She is constantly watching her back... waiting. When I selected this book, I did so for two reasons. First, having read some of her earlier work, I felt certain that it would be a good read. Second, and perhaps just as importantly, I am a fan of Patricia Cornwell's character, Kay Scarpetta, who is also a Medical Examiner and who is a very complete and complex character. A third reason was the general paucity of good titles in the Amazon First selections over the past few months. So, with an open mind, I chose this one. And I'm glad I did.!! No Spoilers here... 'EXHUME' is perfect example of a police procedural that is well written, relatively free of errors of scope and grammar, well plotted and a truly satisfying read. The main character, Annabelle Schwartzman, is a strong character with a troubling history. She has faced trouble before, and will again as this book unfolds. When a young woman ends up dead and on her examining table, and that woman looks a lot like Dr. Schwartzman herself, the 'mirror' analogy is born. She is forced to rethink and relive parts of her past always wondering who the killer is trying to confront... and why. When Dr. Schwartzman becomes aware of some of the consistencies with episodes in her past, she turns even more introspective and in so doing realizes some of the real danger she now faces. From coast to coast she confronts death and evil intent, all the while facing her own inner demons. The book moves at a good pace and has enough twists to satisfy all but the most dedicated crime reader. It is a very good story and details the human side of police work along with the special situations and problems associated with being a woman in a male dominated field. Ms. Girard does a great job of allowing her characters to operate realistically while still keeping a strong female presence in the lead. My first impression was that some of the characterizations were a bit problematic, but after completing the book I am convinced that Ms. Girard has walked a fine line and has stayed pretty much on point. I like her characters and the way she developed them... while leaving room to grow them some in the rest of the series to follow. The ending is just a touch flat maybe, but I suspect that is to heighten the suspense for the next book in the series, which I will now be certain to read. I am giving this book five stars. It might be a bit of a reach, but because of my history with this author and my love of the Scarpetta books, it is the only conclusion I can reach. For anyone who is a fan of police procedurals or crime novels in general, you will find this book to be very satisfying. For the first time in several months I am truly satisfied with this Kindle First selection. Highly recommended.