Blood Lines-Kathryn Casey

Blood Lines
Kathryn Casey
Minotaur, Jul 21 2009, $24.95
ISBN 9780312379513

Sixteen year old music superstar Cassidy Collins fears for her life from a frightening cyberstalker. Argus knows too much about her and seems be getting to close to the teen leaving her uneasy that he will do something to her. Cassidy believes the creep will make a move at one of concert tours. Texas Ranger Lieutenant Sarah Armstrong and FBI profiler David Garrity investigate the threat.

At the same thirtyish oil heiress Elizabeth Cox apparently committed suicide. Her sister Faith disagrees after receiving an alleged message from her dead sibling; instead she believes someone murdered Elizabeth and made it look like she took her own life. Sarah looks at photos of the death scene and nothing specific sticks out, she agrees with Elizabeth that the entire picture is to perfect as if someone set the stage. Meanwhile Elizabeth’s niece Maggie acts peculiar as if she somehow she moved past her mother’s death by worrying about her pregnant ailing horse; her reaction also has Sarah wondering.

The latest Sarah Armstrong Texas Rangers police procedural (see SINGULARITY) is an enjoyable two-case mystery in which the reader obtains an in depth look at the downside of celebrity status. The Collins stalking is a fast-paced strong subplot while the Cox death never fully holds up its end as that probe never fully gels. Still BLOOD LINES is overall a fine combination of who done it and who is doing it.

Harriet Klausner.