My next excursion in rule breaking had no excuse from geography. King, whose Mary Russell series I admire greatly, sets Kate Martinelli firmly in today’s San Francisco. The cases are the kind of police procedural that so many write. I expected more from this series since I found so much more in the Mary Russell series and hoped that she was able to maintain the level of writing.

The series is very different, with the setting affecting the style, as it should. When Russell and Holmes cross swords, you expect verbal fireworks. When Kate and her cop partner spar, there are fireworks but the language is necessarily less lapidary. Not less well conceived, but less flamboyant. The book is an excellent start to a series, with great depth, which separates it from the run of the mill cop story. No emphasis of plot twists here, since the people are the plot and people don’t twist as easily. The book was even moving at times, which is very hard to accomplish in this genre. It is a sign of the strength and appeal of the characters King has created. In short, this is another series I will read start to finish. Grafton’s PI never caught my attention like this, nor the gory details of Cornwell’s medical detectives. I enjoy good police procedurals, but this is much more. It triumphs over my reading rules on the strength of the writing.

Thank you, Laurie King. I wish there were more like you. ( )

I've been a fan of Laurie King for years, but it's taken me until now to read any of her books besides the Sherlock-Russell novels. To my very pleasant surprise, this is a great book, not that I'm surprised Laurie wrote a good book, but the subject matter is one I wasn't sure I wanted to pursue.
There has been a series of murders in a small community outside of San Francisco. The victims have all been children from outside the community. The investigation turns up a resident of the community who was imprisoned for just such a murder eighteen years ago. Has she struck again?
This book introduces Detective Kate Martinelli, just promoted to Homicide and paired with a seasoned cop who's less than thrilled to be handed a green partner. Kate also happens to be in a long-term relationship with another woman. This issue isn't forced, it just is. Very well done. ( )

I like the stories and characters in these series, but have my reservations about the lesbian aspect. It's subtle but given my personal religious beliefs, it jars.

LOVED this book. Great series (Kate Martinelli) and one of my favorite authors. ( )

Bother. One of the best books I've read in a long time and half way through I find out the detective has a lifestyle I cannot support. I had my suspicions from the beginning. Laurie King style, all is understated and not graphic. It has pathos, character, and reality. But I simply can't read her other Kate Martinelli books. It's like reading Ayn Rand, they write so well they make unbiblical thinking seem sensible and right. Oh well. I'll stick to her Mary Russell mysteries. Those of you who are not bothered by lifestyle choices will love these books. ( )