Tell Me by Lisa Jackson, a Mysterious Review.

Review: Nikki Gillette is a part-time reporter for The Sentinel, a newspaper in Savannah, Georgia. She has written two successful crime novels and her editor is pushing her for a third. Nikki, however, needs more time to come up with just the right story. As fate would sometimes have it, the day the regular crime reporter of The Sentinel becomes ill, the news hits that a twenty year old multi-murder convection is about to be overturned and the murderer set free. Nikki is told to take his place for the paper. What a break for Nikki, not only as a reporter, but it could be a good basis for her novel, or so she thinks, in Tell Me, the third mystery in the "Savannah" series by Lisa Jackson.

Twenty years ago Blondell O'Henry was accused, tried and found guilty of the murder of her 16-year-old daughter, Amity, who was pregnant. In addition, she shot her eight year old son, Niall, in the throat, and her youngest daughter, Blythe, was also injured during the attack, breaking her back; she is still confined to a wheel chair. Blondell's conviction hinged on the testimony of her son, Niall, who told the court that his mother had a gun and shot them. Now aged 28, Niall has recanted his testimony and admitted he did not see who shot them. Blondell O'Henry could within days be set free. Nikki's fiancé', Detective Pierce Reed, is assigned to search the files, talk to people who knew Blondell, and find evidence to prove her guilt beyond any reasonable doubt. Nikki also has a special interest in the case because she had been a close friend of Amity's. Since Reed is not permitted to share any of his findings with her, Nikki decides to do some investigating on her own. No one will talk to her except to say leave well enough alone. She shouldn't get involved. She may just get hurt in the process, especially when she finds out that these murders are somehow connected to members of her own family. It is a bizarre twist — one she hadn't counted on.

Tell Me has an interesting, compelling murder mystery plotline but is muddled by far too many extraneous characters and repetitive references to the events of previous books in the series. Still, Nikki, Reed and Reed's partner make for an interesting team to follow along as they individually, and a bit less so together, investigate the 20-year-old crime. The romantic relationship between Nikki and Reed strains credulity at times, and seems a little ill-suited for this story, as if it is shoe-horned in. A fast summer read, but in the end, not altogether that memorable.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Tell Me.

Without Mercy
Kensington (Hardcover), April 2010
ISBN-13: 9780758225641; ISBN-10: 0758225644