Mystery Book Reviews

Book Review: The Scarecrow

By Sandy Amazeen May 13, 2009, 2:00 GMT

Forced out of the Los Angeles Times amid the latest budget cuts, newspaperman Jack McEvoy decides to go out with a bang, using his final days at the paperto write the definitive murder story of his career. He focuses on Alonzo Winslow, a 16-year-old drug dealer in jail after confessing to a brutal murder. But as he delves into the story, Jack realizes that Winslow\'s so-called confession is bogus. The ...more

The Scarecrow

A victim of the L.A. Time’s latest round of workforce reductions, newspaper reporter Jack McEvoy decided to make his boss regret firing him by writing the best story of his life. After receiving a phone call, Jack begins looking into the seemingly routine murder bust of Alonzo Winslow, a sixteen-year-old drug dealer. He quickly realizes the case is far from straightforward as Alonzo’s confession doesn’t fit the crime meaning the murderer is still on the streets.

Jack’s research led him to a Nevada lawyer working on the appeal of a convicted murderer. His consultation quickly reveals startling similarities between the two murders, carried out in different states and the inevitable conclusion that there may be a serial killer on the prowl. When Jack’s credit cards failed to work, an online check revealed every penny in his accounts had been “donated”, effectively rendering him penniless. Jack thought it a random crime until the FBI agent Rachel Walling convinced him otherwise. Together they must track a clever foe that seems to know and anticipate their every move.

Connelly follows his bestselling The Brass Verdict with a thrilling, seat of the pants game of cat and mouse that turns today’s technology into a frightening hunting ground. This is a fast paced thriller tells the story from the perspective of the hunters and the hunted and the dangers of having the fox guarding the henhouse.