The
Feline Friendship
By Michael Allen
Dymmoch
Detective
John Thinnes and his psychiatrist pal Jack Caleb get back together
to hunt down a serial rapist. Along the way, Thinnes picks up a
new partner, Don Franchi, a beautiful female detective with a not-so-beautiful
attitude.
Women
in the Chicago area are being raped, beaten, and slashed by a psychotic
assailant who has killed at least one and influenced another to
commit suicide. He is a vicious and merciless attacker. Detective
Thinnes recognizes a pattern early on and begins to put together
a grid to see if he can devise a way to try to trap the man.
Friction
between Thinnes and partner Franchi seem to threaten the progress
of the investigation but, with a little help from Dr. Caleb, both
eventually display a professionalism that gets them beyond their
petty differences and focusing on the much more serious problem
of catching a madman. A break in the case comes when they are able
to tie the assaults to a series of very similar rapes that occurred
in a different city.
The
author does an excellent job of presenting a very sensitive topic
in a way that doesn’t make the reader feel uncomfortable.
Michael Allen Dymmoch is able to provide a ray of hope throughout
this novel. She portrays the police as competent, determined, and
methodical, which helps to put the reader at ease.
There’s
just enough of Dr. Jack Caleb in this story, too. As a peripheral
character in the investigation, he assumes a methodical, if somewhat
understated, role, providing valuable insight into the thought patterns
of the rapist.
This is a
multi-layered plot that will have you turning pages. It’s
an excellent story and skillfully told. This book is a real winner.
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