I don't read a lot of current thrillers, but one author who has become a favorite is J.T. Ellison. EDGE OF BLACK is her second novel to feature forensic pathologist Dr. Samantha Owens, who also appeared in Ellison's Nashville-set police procedural series starring Detective Taylor Jackson.
In this one Sam has relocated to Washington D.C. and become
a professor instead of a medical examiner, but that doesn't stop her from
getting involved in the investigation of an apparent act of biological
terrorism that leaves three random victims dead. Ah, but are they really
random? It comes as no great surprise that they're not.
Ellison does a fine job of gradually uncovering the
different layers of the plot. I really enjoy books structured like that. She's
also very good at creating likable protagonists, and Sam Owens certainly falls
into that category. Her romantic interest, former Army Ranger Xander Whitfield,
is a good character, too. Yeah, he's a little idealized, but not annoyingly so,
probably because the romance angle is played down enough to make this novel,
for the most part, a combination of police procedural and anti-terrorism
thriller.
Mostly, though, it's well written, smartly paced, and highly
entertaining. If you're a fan of contemporary thrillers, you should check out
J.T. Ellison's work, and EDGE OF BLACK would be a good place to start since
it's out now. Even though it's part of a series, it works just fine as a
stand-alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment