Traces of Guilt

Henderson’s latest introduces Evie Blackwell, a police cold case investigator. The mysteries explored in the story are nuanced and their resolutions surprising. If one can get past Henderson’s extreme wordiness, the reward is well worth the effort. The interplay of the characters is fascinating and sets up some intriguing scenarios for future installments.
Evie Blackwell, a state police detective, is assigned to a new task force investigating cold cases. She arrives in Carin County, Ill., and meets Sheriff Gabriel Thane. He gives her information about two cases: a missing young girl, and the disappearance of a police officer and his entire family. As the two work together to explore new angles, they start to feel attraction to each other.

Evie Blackwell excels at her job as a detective in the Illinois State Police force. So much so, that she is practically writing her own script . . . or job description. So when a special "cold case" task force is created, the natural go-to to lead the endeavor is Evie. True to form, her formidable detective skills not only shed light on two cold cases . .. . they also point to a potential third.

In the meantime, Sheriff Gabriel Thorne is trying to come to grips with the unexpected discoveries . . . both in his jurisdiction, and in his heart. Could Evie Blackwell hold the key to both?

I fell in love with Dee Henderson . . . the one who wrote the O'Malley series. And I realize that time has a way of changing a person, but I don't really recognize the Dee Henderson I fell in love with.

The characters changed. The moods changed. The writing style has changed, and not in a good way.