Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
At the start of Webb's intricately plotted third and final book featuring Birmingham, Ala., police detectives Kerri Devlin and Luke Falco (after Gone Too Far), the two are called to the scene of a double homicide at the home of Logan Boothe and his family. The victims, dead by smoke inhalation caused by arson, are Logan's wife and small daughter. The police wonder why Logan, the obvious suspect, was found unconscious on the lawn outside by a neighbor and wasn't inside with the others. Lately, Logan had been under pressure. He had quit his job and was having severe financial difficulties; his daughter needed treatment for leukemia, and medical bills were mounting. Logan readily confesses to the murders, but something doesn't feel right to Kerri and Luke. Is Logan protecting someone-or is he afraid of someone? To complicate matters, Logan, like Luke, was once an undercover agent, and both were supervised by the same handler. The stakes rise when their worlds begin to overlap, putting Luke's career and life in jeopardy. Police procedural fans will be sorry to see the last of Kerri and Luke. Agent: Stephanie Rostan, LGR Literary. (Dec.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
The final entry in Webb's "Devlin & Falco" police procedural trilogy (following Gone Too Far). In Birmingham, Alabama, police detective Kerri Devlin is hoping to start over. Kerri's ex has custody of their daughter for Thanksgiving, so Kerri invites her Birmingham PD partner, Detective Luke Falco, to spend the week. Their first morning together is interrupted by a call from the police chief, who demands the pair drop everything and meet him at the site of a house fire that injured Logan Brooke and killed his daughter and wife. The fire marshal tells Kerri and Luke that there are traces of accelerant, and Logan, in the hospital, soon confesses to arson. As Kerri and Luke investigate, they find that the evidence doesn't support Logan's claim, and Luke is warned by an old boss (from his dark years as an undercover cop) to stay away from the case. Threats, violence, and a dramatic climax follow. VERDICT Good for procedural readers, but series fans are the prime audience for Webb's trilogy closer, which brings Kerri and Luke's relationship to a happy conclusion.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Two Birmingham, Alabama, homicide detectives must revisit the past to solve a red-hot case. Kerri Devlin never thought her partnership with former undercover cop Luke Falco would work out. Now both lovers and partners, they're called on by the chief of police to investigate the death of Allison Boothe and her daughter, Leah, in a house fire. The property is owned by Jana Scott, Allison's mother and the widow of the police department's assistant chief. Allison's husband, Logan Boothe, a former cop himself, is found badly hurt on the lawn. Luke knows Boothe from his stint working undercover with Narcotics. After Boothe quit the force, he and Allison separated, but they got back together when Leah was diagnosed with leukemia. Once Boothe is well enough to speak, he says he started the fire that killed his family, a claim Kerri and Luke don't believe for a minute. Luke is strangely reluctant to question the boss he shared with Boothe, but the case forces him to return to the time when he worked with Lt. Patrick O'Grady--a history he's desperate to forget. The case is complicated by bad relations between mothers-in-law, a witness who's a family friend, and an awful lot of lies spun out in an attempt to cover old secrets. In order to find a killer, Luke must force himself to confront his past and save his future. A complex, exciting mystery starring two cops notable for both their crime-solving chops and their ongoing romance. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
