Redemption : a Joe Burgess mystery

Format:

Book

Title:

Redemption : a Joe Burgess mystery

Author:

Flora, Kate, 1949-

ISBN:

9781594153792

Edition:

1st ed.

Publication Information:

Waterville, Me. : Five Star, 2012.

Physical Description:

365 pages ; 23 cm.

Series title(s):

Joe Burgess mystery ;

Number in series:

BK. 3.

Summary:

When a long-lost friend's body is found by two boys fishing, Detective Joe Burgess of Portland, Maine, must put his hopes for a normal life on hold to investigate the death.

Subject(s):

Police -- Maine -- Portland -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Genre:

Detective and mystery stories.

Detective and mystery fiction.

Fiction.

Mystery fiction.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Stayton Public Library	M FLORA	Searching... Unknown

In the third book in this star-reviewed Portland, Maine-based police procedural series, Det. Joe Burgess's hopes for a more normal life slam up against the ugly reality of his job.On his way to a Columbus Day picnic with the foster children his girlfriend, Chris, hopes to adopt, Burgess is flagged down by two boys fishing off a pier who think they've spotted a body in the water.Picnic canceled, Burgess spends a gorgeous fall day supervising the retrieval of the body, only to find, during the ME's preliminary exam, that he is looking at someone he knows--Burgess must find out the who, and why, of his lost friend's death, an investigation that will undoubtedly keep readers hooked until the very end.

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

In Flora's middling third Joe Burgess mystery (after 2008's The Angel of Knowlton Park), the Portland, Maine, homicide detective investigates the suspicious death of a troubled friend, Reginald Libby (aka Reggie the Can Man), whose body two young boys find near a wharf. Reggie, who was a former classmate of Burgess and a comrade in Vietnam, never fully recovered from the war. Survivors with possible clues to his fate include Reggie's bitter ex-wife, Claire; his spoiled and abusive son, Joey; and his addled lover, Maura O'Brien. Threatening letters from Reggie's weird cousin, Star Goodall, and hints of a part-time factory job Reggie was secretive about give Burgess more to ponder. Flora, besides belaboring the public's poor understanding and opinion of cops, adds much extraneous drama (e.g., an almost grown son the father is unaware of) that weakens an already angst-filled story. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

Booklist Review

When Detective Sergeant Joe Burgess, of the Portland (Maine) Police Department, finds his friend Reggie Libby drowned in the harbor, he is determined to bring the killer to justice. Reggie, a Vietnam vet who was mentally ill and had fallen on hard times, had apparently started a new job recently. Joe and his colleagues work to determine his place of employment and his movements before his death by interviewing Reggie's fellow street people and his relatives, including his vindictive former wife and indifferent son. On the home front, Joe's live-in girlfriend wants to adopt two foster children, and Joe doesn't feel ready to be a parent. As always, Joe immerses himself in his case, causing problems in his personal life. Framed by the challenges street people face in large cities, this compelling, fast-paced police procedural offers a complex plot, rich with details of conducting a murder investigation and insight into the rigors of the cop's life.--O'Brien, Sue Copyright 2010 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Det. Joe Burgess of Portland, ME, struggles with Vietnam War memories when his latest case involves a dead vet. The third entry (after The Angel of Knowlton Park) in a gritty procedural series that has received starred LJ reviews. [See Prepub Alert, 11/11/11.] (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.