Book Review: ‘Evidence of Murder’ has suspenseful plot

“Evidence of Murder” (William Morrow, 343 pages, $24.99), by Lisa Black

When Jillian Perry, wife of a wealthy video game creator and mother of a little girl, is found dead in the bitterly cold woods near Cleveland, the police dismiss the death as a suicide.

Medical examiner Theresa MacLean isn’t so sure, and the more she pokes into the case, the more she suspects that Jillian was murdered.

Problem is, there’s no physical evidence to explain how she died. She has no fatal wounds, no signs of strangulation, no evidence of drugs or poison. Nothing at all. As far as the forensics experts can tell, she just wandered into the woods and froze to death.

MacLean’s boss keeps pressing her to close the case and turn her attention to other bodies piling up in the medical examiner’s office. But Lisa, still reeling from the death of her fiance in “Takeover,” the first book in this new series, can’t let it go.

Her investigation grows urgent when, as she keeps digging, she becomes convinced that Jillian’s killer is about to strike again.

The solution to the mystery involves an undetectable and diabolical method for murder. It also involves clever police work in which Theresa explores the mind of the murderer and turns his brilliance against him.

With “Evidence of Murder,” Black demonstrates an ability to create memorable characters and to fashion a suspenseful, well-structured plot. And her expertise – she is a forensic scientist herself – shows in her handling of the technical aspects of the case.

However, Black isn’t much of a prose stylist. The writing is clear and straightforward – easy to read except for an occasional clunky sentence. But it has none of the verve and flair we’ve come to expect from the best writers in the mystery genre.

If the quality of the prose matters to you, the book will disappoint; but if you’re just looking for a suspenseful plot and a quick read, Black may do the trick.