Fatal Truth

Police corruption and violence abound in Fatal Truth, Robin Burcells second novel (after Every Move She Makes) starring San Francisco homicide inspector Kate Gillespie. On the way to meet with a snitch, Kate witnesses his murder. The culprit, a corrupt narcotics investigator, turns up dead several hours later. Unsure of whom she can trust, Kate turns to her ex-partner, PI Sam Scolari, and Mike Torrance, an internal affairs detective and former romantic flame. Both men assist Kate as she investigates the two killings and discovers some surprising links to a 12-year-old scandal involving her brother, his wife and their young son. Through sharp, staccato prose, Burcell delivers a taut police procedural stuffed with law enforcement jargon and exhilarating action sequences.