Detroit homicide Detective Bonnie Benham has been transferred from narcotics for using more than arresting and is working the case of a killer of adolescent girls.
CSI collects DNA evidence from the scene of the latest victim, which had not been detected on the other victims. But no suspect turns up in the FBI database. Due to the notoriety of the crimes a task force is put together with Bonnie as the lead detective, and she implores the D.A. to use an as yet unapproved type of a DNA Search in an effort to identify the killer.
Homicide Detective Neil Jensen, with his own history of drug and alcohol problems, understands Bonnie's frailty and the two detectives become inseparable as they track this killer of children.
What did I think?
I chose to read The Death of Anyone during the Global Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week 2016, although the book is not about mitochondrial disease it is about familial DNA which mitochondria are part of. David Swykert has very kindly written a piece about familial DNA which you can read here on the post after my review.
Bonnie Benham is one tough cookie but we later find out that she is a cookie with a little squidgy middle as she opens her heart to fellow detective, Neil Jensen. They both have similar backgrounds and are both married to the job, so it was inevitable that they would be attracted to each other. Bonnie and Neil's budding relationship aside, the main story is about a serial killer in Detroit. When the body of a young girl is found, the police scratch their heads at the lack of evidence. Surely the killer left some kind of trace? Then they find a bead of sweat but there is no match in their database.
When another body is found is similar circumstances they start to look at cold cases and find similarities to murdered youthful looking prostitutes. All they have to go on is the DNA from the bead of sweat and they want to expand their search by seeing if the DNA is a part match (i.e. familial DNA) for anybody in their database. This test needs to be approved and it is only when the daughter of a high profile city official is murdered that the bureaucratic red tape can be cut and the net can finally close around the killer. Will Bonnie get her man both professionally and personally?
I really enjoyed The Death of Anyone; it was very strong on police procedure and the hindrance of bureaucratic red tape. I liked Bonnie as a character, the far from perfect heroine, and likened her to Harry Bosch - she has that kind of cool detached persona. D.J. Swykert isn't afraid to pull some punches either and I had a huge gasp out loud moment as a virtual gunshot reverberated inside my head. A hugely entertaining and informative read.
I received this e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
My rating:
Buy it from Amazon
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