Silent Killer-Beverly Barton

Silent Killer
Beverly Barton
Zebra, Sep 2009, $6.99
ISBN 9781420100501

Eighteen months ago, Catherine Cantrell observed in horror her well respected spouse Mark die in an inferno on their front porch. Horrified by the arson that killed her spouse, Cathy fled to Birmingham leaving their teenage son Seth with in-laws. Now with the help of her BFF Lorie Hammonds, she returns to her hometown of Dunmore, Alabama to raise Seth; though she knows she will never forget what she saw or heard. The case remains unsolved.

However, more clergy are murdered in Dunmore that local police detective Jackson Perdue assumes is tied somehow to Cathy. As his former lover back in high school and knowing he still loves her, he rejects the circumstantial evidence that Catherine is the avenging serial killer as the Cantrell family implies.

This is an exciting action packed romantic suspense that is at its best when Catherine and Jackson share the stage with no one except a corpse even though the underlying premise focuses on the families of religious leaders who try to keep secrets from being revealed. The subplot of Jack and Cathy rekindling their love is done well as he struggles with his heart saying she is innocent, but his upper head and the townsfolk think otherwise. SILENT KILLER is a strong tale that contains too many subplots and townsfolk detracting from the super main theme of an enjoyable regional police procedural romance.

Harriet Klausner