Someone is strangling disabled people in the small town of Baxter, Connecticut. Detective Courtney Lang and her ex-partner and ex-lover, wheelchair-bound Bill Thompson, are paired up again and put in charge of the investigation. During the course of their search, Courtney uncovers information that points toward a connection between the murders and an unsolved series of muggings by a masked man, … man, the same man who shot and disabled Bill a year ago on the night he proposed marriage to her.
Complicating matters for Courtney is her guilt about Thompson’s shooting, her affair with her new partner, Mark Farrell, and her unresolved feelings over the deaths of her mother and sister who perished in a fire while she was away from home.
As the deaths accrue and the “Handicapped Strangler” as the killer is coined by the press continues to rampage the town adding victims of different ages, sex, and disabilities to the murder count, Courtney discovers a clue that could crack open the case but may put her and Bill’s life in jeopardy.
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A Marvelous Murder Mystery
The author has done a superb job here in keeping the reader guessing who the culprit or culprits are. The characters and story are so believable that this could easily be a true story. It is difficult to put this book down once the story gets moving.
Detectives Courtney Lang, Mark Farrell and Bill Thompson have a unique partnership. Courtney and Bill were once an item but being shot during a chase left him in a wheelchair. He warned her away and now she is in a relationship with Farrell. As one might guess, tensions run high among the three of them.
Lang and Farrell have been put in charge of apprehending The Handicapped Strangler. So far, this killer has targeted a blind woman, a deaf young man, and a female with only one arm.
So far the only connection is that they were all disabled, and all had been robbed or mugged prior to their death. The masked man has never been caught. Lang is certain that the mugger and the strangler are one and the same. Her superior .. and Mark … feel otherwise.
This is a riveting murder mystery with twists and turns that kept me guessing. Action prevails throughout at a fast pace. The characters are solid, well-drawn and mostly likeable. The romance and the problems it presents only adds to the story. The ending came as quite a surprise.
Many thanks to the author / BooksGoSocial / Netgalley for the digital copy of this police procedural. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Great beach read in a combination police procedural but mostly cozy mystery. Police officer Courtney is lucky enough to have two gorgeous men crazy in love with her. The rivalry between these police officers for Courtney’s affections drives much of the story. The three of them are now assigned to investigate the muggings and later murders of handicapped people in this relatively quiet, friendly Connecticut town. Are these events connected in some way, or coincidences? Since motive cannot be determined, it’s necessary to follow the chain of events uncovering hidden relationships. Courtney is a contradiction as the main character. She karate chops her way through certain situations, but becomes a passive victim in need of rescue in others. Courtney is emotionally dependent and weak, manipulating the men around her so everyone is confused as to whom she really cares about. Her loyalty to her neighbors is without question, but her loyalty to her boyfriends is another story. But then again, without this vacillation, the reader would not be wondering if one of these officers committed murder and break-ins in a jealous rage.
Who has been robbing disabled people? And who has been murdering them–is it one and the same person? Detective Courtney Lang was partners with Bill. They were out on a date when Bill was shot and is now wheelchair bound. Courtney has a new partner, Mark. The two men are jealous of each other. But they all have to work together to find the culprit.
Will Courtney ever decide which of the two men she would rather be with? Do they find the murderer? This novel has many twists and turns and will keep you reading! Don’t even try to guess who the culprit is—it is a shocker!