Pretty Dead Anne Frasier
Set in Savannah Georgia the story revolves around a series of murders. What sets this book apart from most others is exactly that, it revolves around the murders, and the main story is that of the characters.
From the start the reader knows the name of the killer, Jeffrey Nightingale. Nightingale is clever, he knows that the Police look for patterns of behaviour when looking for offenders, so every few years he takes on a new persona, changes location, and changes the way he kills.
The main protagonist in the story is Elise Sandburg, Head of Savannah Police Department. As well as investigating a murder she is struggling to put her past behind her, having been kidnapped and violently assaulted on a previous case. Elise’s father makes an unwelcome return during the investigation that only complicates matters. Especially as his return was kept a secret by department partner David Gould
Gould has his own demons in his past, but is the anniversary of his son’s death enough to distract him from the current investigation.
Just to add to the conundrum of characters FBI profiler Victor Lamont is brought in to help with the case. The history between Gould and Lamont is fraught with tension and threatens to divide the investigation team.
Then there is Jay Thomas Paul, “a man with three surnames” as Elise refers to him; a reporter from the New York Times that is given permission to shadow Sandburg and Gould during their investigations into the increasing death count.
And then there is the Crosswords
What have they got to do with the story?
I loved this book. It stands out from others of the same genre because it concentrates more on the characters than it does on the crimes. However the crimes are perfect for the story allowing all of the characters story-lines to move along in a believable way.
I am sorry to admit it but this is the first book of Anne Frasier’s that I’ve read. Having looked her up on the net I now know she’s a New York Times Best Selling Author with many books to her name. In fact Pretty Dead is the third in a series following on from Play Dead and Stay Dead, both of which are now on my have-to-read-soon list.
It might be a geographical problem, I’ve looked in UK bookshops and only found one or two of her books. If you are reading this in the UK get on Amazon and grab yourself a treat.
More information about Anne Frasier and her books can be found on her own website
Who would I recommend this book too. Everybody who likes a good Police Procedural, a good Thriller, or just a good story.
People who like books by the UK authors Mari Hannah and Marnie Riches, and the American writer Greg Isles will love Anne Frasier
nigeladamsbookworm 