The Body of David Hayes

Seattle Police Lt. Lou Boldt is stuck in the middle when he discovers that a guy recently released from jail after serving time for bank fraud is missing and had, before his incarseration, an affair with his wife. I think I might be getting tired of this series. It seems to be more about the boring marriage of these two than any interesting mystery. The Seattle setting is, still, at least interesting.

Lots of wheels within wheels in this Lou Boldt episode. Personal secrets are revealed. fingernails are painfully removed and almost every possible local, state, and federal law enforcement agency is involved. Interesting characters and a lively plot make for a good book. This is a good book.

I listened to the audio version and it was....terrific! Very exciting----my first Ridley Pearson and I'm very happy I'm only at the beginning of his work! I hadn't "met" any of the characters before so I will be backtracking at some point to fill in what I have apparently missed. Apparently there are many of his books that people liked better so I'll have to see if I change my mind over time.

Normally I rave about Pearson. But this book seemed flat and difficult to get through. All of his other books are page turners.

This is a Lou Boldt mystery. I used to read a lot of them, but have drifted away. This wasn't one of the best, although it had lots of familiar characters.

Lou's wife becomes involved with a man who wants to use her to rob a bank. Can Lou protect her, while using her to catch the robber?

Setting: Seattle

Protagonists:
Lou Boldt, Seattle Police Lieutenant, rumpled yet sexy, methodical yet heroic
Liz Boldt, Lou's wife, bank exec, still tortured by a brief extramarital affair in their past, hates being a policeman's wife
David Hayes, Liz's old office fling, recently paroled after serving 4 yrs for embezzlement from Liz's bank
Danny Foreman, Bureau of Criminal Investigation, African American friend of the Boldts and obsessed with the Hayes case
Daphne Matthews, Seattle Police psychologist, tempting to Lou
John LaMoia, Seattle Police sargeant, cowboy persona irresistible to women
Bobbi Gaynes, Seattle police detective

First Line: "Lou Boldt picked up bits and pieces of the assault over an uncooperative cell phone."

Main Theme: David show more Hayes is paroled, and suddenly all kinds of bad guys after the money he embezzled (that was never recovered) intrude into the Boldt's lives (including the Russian mafia led by an importer known as "The Sturgeon General"). Liz is pulled into police work because of her connection with Hayes and the bank.

Subtheme: Liz and Lou's marriage goes on trial (again)

Main Action: Everyone is double-dealing (and sometimes torturing) everyone else in pursuit of the missing seventeen million dollars.

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