register |  login
› ARVADA
Loading Ad
Visit Other Hubs:
ADVERTISEMENT
Loading Tower
RECENT STORIES

Book review: "Dead in Red"

Contributed by: Merrimon Crawford on 6/17/2008

Woohoo! Psychic sleuth Jeff Resnick is back for a new mystery!

DEAD IN RED by L. L. Bartlett
Publisher: Five Star (June 18, 2008)

For all Jeff Resnick lovers and those yet to discover this unique sleuth, L.L. Bartlett's second suspense mystery, Dead in Red, brings back a loved set of characters to a new mystery territory, closer to home yet one that takes them to the darker sides of society and the dark secrets of individuals nearby. The psychic sleuth gives a nice twist to the unfolding mystery, but this Jeff Resnick mystery also has an extra dimension as L.L. Bartlett peers deeper into the relationship and tensions between Jeff and his brother.

In her debut mystery, Murder on the Mind, L.L. Bartlett introduced Jeff Resnick. Divorced and having just lost his job as an insurance investigator, Jeff is mugged. The attack leaves him brain damaged and psychic. His brother Richard, a doctor, and Richard's girlfriend Brenda care for him. Frustrated at his sudden incapacity and reliance on Richard, Jeff investigates the brutal death of a banker. Murder on the Mind

In Dead in Red, Jeff Resnick turns his eyes from a high society positioned victim to a murder closer to home. Tom Links, the owner of his favorite bar and hang out, The Whole Nine Yards, asks Jeff to look into the murder of bartender Walt Kaplan. Jeff sees a vision of a high heeled red sequined shoe, a shoe that leads him to investigate a friend from his brother's past, theater groups, foot fetishes and even the haunts of the Buffalo's drag queens but not even a psychic vision can prepare him for the scenes that will unfold before him. As the clues and a new vision lead him closer to answers, Jeff must race to save an unknown person. Although fear and guilt haunt him, Jeff knows he can only save this person by solving the crime.

Humorous, face-paced and full of surprises and emotion. Jeff Resnick is a great flawed sleuth. Although psychic, his vision does not make things simple or easy, not one bit! Psychic answers are no substitute or short cut to investigation. His visions give him an inside to the crimes that the police do not have but they can also lead him into dangerous paths that risk not only his life but the lives of those around him.

Jeff's relationship to his brother Richard chafes. As a half-brother, Richard had all the benefits that Jeff never had. Forced to rely on his brother as an adult, he recalls the past and yet the present circumstances forge a bond between the two. L.L. Bartlett gives the reader new insights into Richard, adding humor and spunk to his character. L.L. Bartlett's portrayal of family adds a richness to her Jeff Resnick mysteries. Dead in Red raises the level as Jeff and Richard must work together once more, adding a new glimpse of family in the midst of the dark mystery Jeff uncovers through his psychic vision.

Dead and Red takes the reader to the darker side of town and the darker regions of the mind. In Dead in Red, L.L. Bartlett give mystery and suspense readers a unique eclectic mix of hard-edged characters and scenarios mixed with intimate, tender family moments. There is no guaranteed easy resolution or happily-ever-after summation but wow, what a wonderful ending! Now --- when is the next Jeff Resnick mystery out? I'm hooked.





SUBMIT COMMENT

Rate the above story



Talk Back : submit comments to the story

*Note: you need to log-in to add a comment or rating.

CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Merrimon Crawford

Arvada , CO

Merrimon Crawford has posted 140 stories and 14 comments since joining on 12/15/2006. Merrimon Crawford 's average story rating is 4.92.
SAVE AND SHARE THIS STORY
STORY RSS FEEDS
WANT TO WRITE FOR YOURHUB.COM?
Want to see the stories you write and the photos you shoot featured in the YourHub.com Thursday print section available all over the Front Range and with home subscriptions of the Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post? All you have to do is register, then post a story or column, start a blog or tell everyone what events are happening in town. We will print the best stories, columns, event listings, photos and blog entries in our print sections.

ADVERTISEMENT
Loading Ad

Loading Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Loading Ad

This YourHub.com community is produced by The Denver Newspaper Agency
Web Development and Channel Analytics provided by Indigio

terms of use //  privacy policy
the staff //  advertise //  help & faq
buy photos