John Ramsey Miller Too Far Gone

Too Far Gone

John Ramsey Miller

Dell, Sep 2006, $6.99

ISBN: 0440243092

Days before Hurricane Katrina is considered a threat, FBI Agent Alexa Keen is in New Orleans attending a conference when she receives a late night phone call from the head of Homicide Detective Manseur concerning missing person Gary West. His wife believes that he has been kidnapped; it is well known amongst police circles that Alexa is the best at finding the victims before they are killed. This case is high profile because Gary is married to Casey LePointe West, the niece of powerful influential William Le Pointe, head of the family trusts.

William wants to handle the incident privately but Casey insists law enforcement become involved especially insuring Alexa is brought into the investigation. Alexa agrees with Casey's assertion that her husband has been abducted because in a few days part of her fortune was to be turned over to him, a powerful motive. The deeper Alexa digs, the more she comes into contact with cold case crimes impacting this one as an evil person kills anyone that might interfere with the master plan.

John Ramsey Miller, author of the Winter Massey novels, has written a thrill a minute police procedural that is so loaded with surprising twists, readers will need seatbelts to avoid whiplash as we eagerly wait to see what spin happens next. Alexa is a strong bold yet believable character while Katrina takes on a life of its own as New Orleans' ambience before, during, after provides incredible background depth. Though the villain is a caricature of malevolent conspiratorial plotters, TOO FAR GONE is a powerful mystery.

Harriet Klausner