Jan Brogan, Yesterday's Fatal

Yesterday's Fatal

Jan Brogan

St. Martin's, May 2007, $24.95

ISBN 0312359977

In Rhode Island, Providence Morning Chronicle reporter Hallie Ahern observes an oddly tragic car accident in which she tries to rescue the already dead driver. Dominican bookkeeper Lizette Gorda, a mother of three working for attorney Dane Piedmont, apparently hit a tree twice; at least that is what the elderly witness told her. Lizette's husband insists another driver was involved with the mess but left before the police arrived.

Hallie begins to make inquires that lead to mobster Tito Manaforte, who attended the funeral, and personal-injury lawyer Joe D'Anzana. As she digs deeper, she begins to believe that Lizette's accident is tied to an insurance scam to file false claims with insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid. However, her efforts alienate her boyfriend, prosecutor Matt Cavanaugh who warns her he will subpoena her if he has to while Dane makes no apology that he wants her; of course so do the bad guys.

Hallie is a fabulous investigative reporter whose inquires make for a superb mystery; however her romances are a different story as they are used to show her flaws, but instead feel as if they intrude on the prime theme, her investigation. Still she makes the storyline fun to follow as she cleverly follows the leads while the criminals follow her. Readers will enjoy the escapades of Jan Brogan's intrepid journalist when she is on the case, moreso than with the men in and out of her life.

Harriet Klausner