Merry Jones, The River Killings

The River Killings

Merry Jones

Dunne, Oct 2006, $23.95

ISBN: 0312330413

Best friends, therapist Zoe Hayes and attorney Susan Cummings, have taken up rowing on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia as an entertaining form of exercise. However, one night while on the river, their boat capsizes leaving the two females clinging to the overturned vessel when a flotilla of corpses floats by them.

The FBI and Zoe's live-in boyfriend Homicide Detective Nick Stiles question her and Susan, who offer nothing. Zoe soon learns that the victims were nineteen Asians brought illegally to be sold as human sex slaves by traffickers. Following a break-in and a car jacking, thugs continue to threaten the two women and their children. Zoe realizes she needs to act because the slave traders will stop at nothing to insure no witnesses remain alive.

Though the subplot involving Nick's ex sister in law adds suspense, it is unneeded as plenty is already going on with Zoe in deeper trouble with some lethal adversaries insuring no witnesses survive. Zoe is a fascinating heroic character who at times seems so very innocent because she "merrily" plunges into dangerous situations without a second thought; the audience will shout at her to cease her activities (she behaves similar to the way bimbos die in teen slasher movies). Still The River Killings is a fine amateur sleuth- police procedural that the audience will appreciate and readers will want Zoe and Nick to return as stars of future Philadelphia mysteries.

Harriet Klausner