Reviews

In Ashford's uneven debut, the first of a series, the police call in Megan Rhys, a Birmingham, England, forensic psychologist, after the discovery of a murdered prostitute leads a detective superintendent to suspect that one of his own men has gone bad. As Megan begins to assemble the clues she needs to construct an accurate profile of what appears to be a serial killer, she gets a plea for help from a female newscaster who has been receiving threatening and obscene messages. Few readers will be surprised when the two inquiries converge, while some may feel the choice to share the killer's suspicious thoughts with the reader halfway through gives too much away. Hopefully, Ashford, a former BBC journalist and the first woman to graduate from Queens' College Cambridge with a criminology master's degree, will use her impressive background more effectively in her next Megan Rhys novel. (Aug.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

The West Midlands police call in forensic psychologist Dr. Megan Rhys to help them determine whether one or two killers are involved in the murders of two young women. Having been treated as ancillary to a previous investigation, she does not relish working with the police this time. Writing in stark prose that offers sharp insight into human character and behavior, Ashford, a former BBC journalist who studied criminology at Cambridge University, contrasts the gritty world of street prostitutes with the comfortable lives of women who have homes, jobs, and families. Her chilling debut, the first in a series, will appeal to patrons who enjoy the forensic procedurals of Kathy Reichs. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.