Assume nothing–that’s the touchstone for every homicide investigation Detective Davie Richards undertakes. She approaches her latest case the same way, determined to learn as much about the victim as she does about the killer. But there’s nothing about thirty-four-year-old Sara Montaine or her death that makes sense. Was Sara a saint caring for her dying husband or a gold-digger with a sketchy … sketchy background? Did she commit suicide or was she murdered? Before her marriage, Sara lived comfortably without any obvious source of income, unusual for an orphan raised in foster care. As Davie digs deeper, she unearths Sara’s troubled past and a viper’s nest of villains who are willing to kill to keep their secrets hidden.
Praise:
“Sassy and analytical, L.A. Detective Davie Richards utilizes ‘shoe leather and minutiae’ to unravel a brilliantly staged fake suicide. Seamless prose, tightly crafted clues, and surprising twists make The Second Goodbyea memorable police procedural. Brew the coffee for the graveyard shift, as you’ll be up all night reading.”–K.J. Howe, best-selling author of The Freedom Brokerand Skyjack
“Patricia Smiley tackles Michael Connelly territory and succeeds with a realistic, compelling police procedural in the badlands of contemporary Los Angeles. Detective Davie Richards is a smart, no-nonsense heroine, and the storytelling had me turning the pages at the expense of mundane activities like sleeping. The Second Goodbyeis an intriguing mystery laced with well-researched law enforcement practices.” –Raymond Benson, author of In the Hush of the Nightand The Black Stiletto Serial
“The Second Goodbye is a straight ahead jolt of police procedural adrenaline! Like Michael Connelly, Patricia Smiley grabs a hold of you and pulls you into the story without tricks or gimmicks. Just a great story told by a great storyteller. The Second Goodbyecatapults Smiley onto the top tier of crime writers!”– Matt Coyle, Anthony Award-winning author of the Rick Cahill crime series
“A thoroughly satisfying and well-crafted police procedural.”–Bookreporter
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“The Second Goodbye” by Patricia Smiley is the third book in the Pacific Homicide series featuring Detective Davie Richards. The book stands on its own merits, and it is not necessary to have read the previous books to enjoy this one. Any background information about the characters is included seamlessly within the current narrative. The book opens with a crime, a murder, but an unusual one that grabs readers.
Knowing she would not pass a background check, Sara Montaine had never tried to buy a gun. Instead, she stole one. In the store, she asked to see a gun, and when the phone rang, she saw her chance. The storeowner stepped out to take the call; she slipped behind the counter and turned the key to unlock the gun case. She reached in and grasped the handle of the gun, a perfect fit. The gunshot jolted the owner. He returned to the showroom and saw the woman on the floor. He immediately called 911.
LAPD Homicide Detective Davie Richards was sifting through the division’s unsolved murders, and her boss directed her to a death in a gun store, but not a murder. The case had been closed as a suicide, but the coroner did not find any gunshot residue on the victim’s hands and ruled the death undetermined. Readers follow as Richards carefully and methodically reviews two unsolved cases, the gun store shooting, and a gang murder. These are cold cases with few cooperating witnesses, second hand evidence, and an increasing number of unanswered questions.
Smiley masterfully intertwines the two main story lines along with additional material that increases the richness of the novel. The pace is steady, purposeful, and not without surprising twists and turns. The characters are well developed, and each is distinctive and thought provoking. Richards is focused and strong, and the supporting characters are discrete and interesting, adding color and depth to the story. There is also a nice shout out to a long-standing event for California and Nevada law enforcement, the Baker to Las Vegas relay race.
“The Second Goodbye” is a captivating novel with a strong female central character and a plot that will hold a reader’s interest to the end. I received a copy of “The Second Goodbye” from Patricia Smiley, and Midnight Ink. I have enjoyed the previous books in the Pacific Homicide series, and this book was no exception. I recommend the entire series and eagerly await the next book in the series.
Top-notch Crime Fiction with great characters and a nice twisty plot. 5 star read.
A Captivating Novel Where Det. Richards Juggles Multiple Cold Cases
The Second Goodbye opens up with the heroine, Homicide Detective Davie Richards experiencing a lull of homicides, so her boss distributed some open cases to his detectives. Richards receives two. One was a five year old strangulation where the prime suspect recently committed suicide and crucial evidence was missing, and the second was a two-year old brutal murder of a gangbanger. Since the first case appeared to be a dead-end, her boss gave her another case. It was a woman shot to death in a gun store. It was ruled a suicide, but the medical examiner ruled it undetermined. This case caught her interest, as it did mine.
The gangbanger murder was challenging because, as would be expected, there were not many cooperating witnesses! The gun store death quickly unraveled with more questions that needed to be investigated. This storyline was very captivating and held my interest throughout the entire novel.
As a surprise, a third storyline pops up and starts with the word, “ENGAGEMENT.” Someone is following Detective Richards, but this storyline is not what I originally thought. The author really challenged me to figure out how this fit into the regular storyline.
The B-storyline brings back a previous character, Detective Joh Striker, from the Robbery Homicide Division. He is tall, handsome, and there is more than police work in his interaction with Richards. Also, the reader learns more about the person of her partner, Detective Jason Vaughn, and the relationship between him and Richards. There is even insight into her boss, Detective Frank Giordano. The author weaves all of this B-storyline material seamlessly into the main storylines so that they add to the richness of the story and enjoyment in reading this novel.
For readers who are sensitive to vulgar language and graphic sex scenes, there is only one sex scene and not that graphic, and only a few less offensive expletives. Also, if this is your first book of this series to read, not having read the previous novels should not be a problem as the author provides adequate background required for previous novels.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this novel. I now have read the last two novels in this series, but not the first. While writing this review, I purchased that first book and will be reading it in the future. As the multiple storylines captured my interest, and I wanted to keep reading, I rate this novel with five stars. Do give it a try if it sounds interesting. I believe you will enjoy reading it also.
I have received a free kindle version of this novel through NetGalley from Midnight Ink with a request for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Midnight Ink for the opportunity to read this novel early.
I really enjoyed this third-police procedural in the Pacific Homicide series by Patricia Smiley. I have read all of her books and if you are looking for a strong female detective then this book and author is for you. Ms. Smiley will take you through the day to day hard work and process of gathering evidence and solving a mystery. Detective Davie Richards is assigned to work cold cases and receives the case of Sara Montaine, a suicide victim. The more she delves in to the case, the more questions arise. When fingerprint results reveal a startling fact about Sara, Davie knows that Sara’s death was not a suicide. She will have assistance from Detective Jon Striker from the Homicide Special Section of the elite Robbery Homicide Division. She has worked with him in the past and is glad she is not taken off the case when it is turned over to his department. As they work together, an attraction develops between Davie and Jon. This does not detract from the seriousness of their work, but adds a wonderful touch of warmth to the characters. As Davie follows new leads, you realize that someone is watching Davie and is determined to keep her from uncovering the truth. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to give an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)