Joe Kilgore

“What you’re saying is that we have a confessed murderer, but we have an apparently innocent man attached to him.”

With the countless number of mysteries that are written and published year after year, it’s almost impossible to create one that really seems unique. But unique feels like the perfect word to describe this murder mystery involving conjoined twins.

Boston is the locale, and Harvard is the scene of the crime where a bizarre killing has taken place. A professor has been murdered. One brother has confessed, but the brother attached to him is saying he had absolutely no knowledge of what was about to happen before it happened. If you think that produces some really vexing legal problems, you’re right. If one brother is innocent, and one is guilty, how do you punish the guilty without also punishing the innocent?

America’s system of laws is based on punishing guilt and doing everything possible to make sure an innocent man isn’t punished. But what do you do when the guilty and the innocent are literally inseparable? In addition to the aforementioned quandary, author Random adds a layer of romantic interest. Joe, the detective in charge of investigating the case, is secretly falling for his partner, Cassie. Will their partnership get even more personal and will their investigation uncover anything to help untangle the profound legal dilemma?

Random’s tale is written crisply and well. Nothing seems overdone. He lets the story tell itself without imposing a signature prose style. His characters feel real and their behavior honest. Dialogue is sharp and credible. Within the well-worn genre of crime fiction, he has managed to create a story that feels fresh and new. And like the best of mystery writers, he definitely has surprises in store. Don’t miss this one.


RECOMMENDED by the US Review



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