Saturday, June 11, 2011

Thunder Moon-Richard Helms

Thunder Moon
Richard Helms
Five Star, Jul 6 2011, $25.95
ISBN 13: 9781432825331

Realtor and Prosperity‚ North Carolina Mayor Kent Kramer introduces highly regarded NFL draft pick Steve Samples at a party attended by the town’s Police Chief Judd Wheeler and his girlfriend schoolteacher Donna Asher. Kent has rented a house to Samples and Pooler Pythons wide receiver Jermaine Coltes. Also new to the town is convicted sex offender Carl Sussman.

Not long after the gala, Jermaine calls 911 to report a murder. Someone viciously hacked Samples to death in what appears a crime of passion. With the help of the County Sheriff Webb, Judd investigates the shocking homicide. He finds two suspects, but both have vanished. First there is Ricky Chasen who hacked his father to death years ago and has been seen traveling with Reverend Alvin Cross; then there is the victim’s missing twin brother Rusty. However to Wheeler’s chagrin, the case will soon snake into a wider deadlier scenario:

This is an exciting police procedural that contains several supporting law enforcement subplots besides the prime homicide investigation. The story line is fast-paced from the opening eviction to the final immaculate interception. Wheeler is the focus who holds the plot together. Although fans might question why he did not seek help from other law enforcement with an experienced homicide detective, readers will not care as he methodically recreates the crime scenes as a diligent, intelligent and caring cop.

Harriet Klausner

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