Elizabeth Becka - Trace Evidence (2005)
Reviewed by David J. Montgomery
Elizabeth Becka, a forensic scientist by training, makes her debut with the modest, but entertaining thriller Trace Evidence. The book’s heroine, Evelyn James, shares her creator’s profession and plies her trade in Cleveland where she works for the medical examiner’s office.
James is part of a team investigating the murder of a young woman who was fitted with a pair of cement shoes and dumped in the river. When a second girl is murdered – and she just happens to be the mayor’s daughter – all hell breaks loose, adding considerable urgency to the case.
Elizabeth Becka is operating in the well-plowed territory of bestselling authors Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs, and generally she accords herself well. Her lead character is refreshingly ordinary, and the violence and gore are kept to a minimum. Despite an unbelievable love story and contrived climax, Trace Evidence is, on balance, a worthy debut.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
