The Face of a Killer
A Sydney
Fitzpatrick Mystery
Robin
Burcell
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-374-4 (1590583744)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-374-6 (9781590583746)
Publication Date: November 2008
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): FBI forensic artist Sydney Fitzpatrick questions the
guilt of the man about to be executed for her father’s murder
twenty years earlier. The first stirrings of doubt occur when one of
her forensic sketches on an unrelated case brings forth memories about
her father’s homicide that she’d hoped to forget. A
mysterious envelope arrives in the mail on the anniversary of her
father’s death. She opens the packet and discovers a blackmail
letter written by her father, an old photo of his army buddies, and a
deposit slip from a bank long closed.
Refusing to believe that her father was involved in any blackmail
scheme, she searches for evidence to clear his name. Her investigation
leads to a trail of corruption by high-ranking US political officials,
and a meticulous and deadly cover-up by the military and the CIA. The
more Special Agent Fitzpatrick digs into her father’s past, the
more she finds it riddled with dark secrets and truths, including the
fact that her father’s seemingly ordinary military career was
anything but stellar or even routine.
Review: Robin
Burcell introduces a new series character, San Francisco-based FBI
forensic artist Sydney Fitzpatrick, in the fast-paced, multi-faceted The Face of a Killer.
Sydney's father was murdered 20 years ago. The man accused and
convicted of crime is scheduled to be executed within the next ten
days. He has always maintained his innocence. To bring closure of her
dad’s death, something she has not yet been able to do, Sydney,
on the twentieth anniversary of his death, goes to the prison to meet
her father's killer face to face. She has no idea this visit would set
up a chain of events that would place her friends, family and herself
in harm’s way. On the day she goes to the prison, a manila
envelope is placed in Sydney’s mail box. This envelope contains
an old photograph of her father with his friends during the war. Also
found in the envelope is a blackmail letter written by her dad, plus a
bank deposit slip from a bank that had closed its doors years before.
Unable to believe that her father was involved in a blackmail scheme,
Sydney is beginning to have second thoughts about who did in fact did
kill him. The more she pushes for answers the deeper she finds herself
on a trail of corruption and cover-ups not only in the military, but
within the CIA and other political offices. In order to continue her
search for the truth she must learn to bend -- if not break -- the
rules set down for investigators by the FBI. Time is running out for
the convicted man. But little does she know that the clock is also
ticking for her.
The Face of a Killer is
a remarkable debut for this series with an attention-grabbing, riveting
story. The author effectively weaves the political realities of
government and its bureaucracy into her fictional plot, drawing the
reader in and not letting go. It is a pleasure getting to know the
characters, and Sydney herself is particularly engaging. The doubt she
experiences as both a daughter and an investigator, and the suspense
that is generated as she learns more about the past, decidedly
contribute to this intense, terrific book.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Face of a Killer and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read The Face of a Killer? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
The Face of a Killer
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), November 2008
ISBN-10: 1-59058-374-4 (1590583744)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-374-6 (9781590583746)
The Bone Chamber
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), December 2009
ISBN-10: 1-59058-375-2 (1590583752)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-375-3 (9781590583753)
Omnimystery keywords for The Face of a Killer ...
Location(s) referenced: San Francisco, California.
