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Sonora Blair #2
Eyeshot
Cincinnati police detective Sonora Blair works homicide - a dark haul of spoiled lives and dangerous people.
Some days, Sonora doesn't want to be a cop. Not when she had to sit down with a distraught husband and father of two young children to tell him that the body parts turning up along Interstate 75 belong to his missing wife.
Julia Winchell witnessed a murder eight years earlier - a murder that was never solved and not forgotten. A murder in which the body disappeared and the killer vanished. No one believed her.
Eight years later, Julia thought she saw the killer. She went after him alone and turned up dead.
Before she died she tried to contact Gage Caplan, a golden-boy district attorney in the process of scoring a very major and very public victory. Caplan's pregnant wife was the murder victim eight years before. Was Julia Winchell trying to help, or was she pointing a finger at him?
Sonora is certain the two murders are related. But her investigation brings down some intense heat on her and her partner during an already sweltering summer. And it soon becomes clear that the killer, left undisturbed for eight years, is back in business in Cincinnati.
Some days, Sonora doesn't want to be a cop. Not when she had to sit down with a distraught husband and father of two young children to tell him that the body parts turning up along Interstate 75 belong to his missing wife.
Julia Winchell witnessed a murder eight years earlier - a murder that was never solved and not forgotten. A murder in which the body disappeared and the killer vanished. No one believed her.
Eight years later, Julia thought she saw the killer. She went after him alone and turned up dead.
Before she died she tried to contact Gage Caplan, a golden-boy district attorney in the process of scoring a very major and very public victory. Caplan's pregnant wife was the murder victim eight years before. Was Julia Winchell trying to help, or was she pointing a finger at him?
Sonora is certain the two murders are related. But her investigation brings down some intense heat on her and her partner during an already sweltering summer. And it soon becomes clear that the killer, left undisturbed for eight years, is back in business in Cincinnati.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
5 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Hightower
43 books86 followersLynn Hightower grew up in Kentucky, and graduated from the University of Kentucky, where she studied creative writing with Wendell Berry and earned a degree in Journalism. She also teaches novel writing in the Writer’s Program at UCLA. Survival jobs include writing television commercials, catering waitress, and bartender for one day.
Her books have been included in the New York Times List of Notable Books, the London Times Bestseller List, and the W.H. Smith Fresh Talent Awards. She has received the Shamus Award, and been nominated for the Kentucky Literary Award, the Kentucky Librarians First Choice Award, and the Mary Higgins Clark Award. Hightower’s books have been published in numerous foreign countries, including Great Britain, Australia, Japan, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Israel and The Netherlands.
Hightower spends ridiculous amounts of time curled up reading, but also enjoys small sports cars and tame horses. She is married to The Frenchman, writes full time, shares an office with her Belgian Shepherd, Leo the Lion, plays bad but fierce tennis, loves to dance and is learning to Tango.
Hightower enjoys canoeing and is witty after two glasses of wine. She has studied French and Italian, but is only fluent in Southern.
Hightower is a Kentucky native, and lives in a small Victorian cottage with a writing parlor.
Her books have been included in the New York Times List of Notable Books, the London Times Bestseller List, and the W.H. Smith Fresh Talent Awards. She has received the Shamus Award, and been nominated for the Kentucky Literary Award, the Kentucky Librarians First Choice Award, and the Mary Higgins Clark Award. Hightower’s books have been published in numerous foreign countries, including Great Britain, Australia, Japan, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Israel and The Netherlands.
Hightower spends ridiculous amounts of time curled up reading, but also enjoys small sports cars and tame horses. She is married to The Frenchman, writes full time, shares an office with her Belgian Shepherd, Leo the Lion, plays bad but fierce tennis, loves to dance and is learning to Tango.
Hightower enjoys canoeing and is witty after two glasses of wine. She has studied French and Italian, but is only fluent in Southern.
Hightower is a Kentucky native, and lives in a small Victorian cottage with a writing parlor.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 19, 2021
`Eyeshot' is the second book, in a series of four, featuring Sonora Blair, a female homicide detective.
With the first book in the series having been written in 1995, Sonora Blair may have been a character before her time, as she must surely have been one of the earliest female detectives to hit the crime/thriller pages?
Sonora Blair, features in a series of just four books, but I am sure that long before then, her private life and career, will be in complete meltdown, if she carries on as she is now! Which, in reality, is probably a fairly accurate analogy of the disastrous work/life balance endured by many members of the force, the world over.
There seem to be the two stereotyped images of female detectives in fiction, either those who are trying desperately to juggle a work/home balance and failing miserably, or those who are determinedly single and married to their job, with Sonora falling into the first category.
She is the single mother of two children; a teenage son over whom she has little or no control; a younger daughter who spends much of this case being trailed around various locations by Sonora, who is unable to find care for her; and an ever increasingly complicated and uncontrollable love-life.
This is not a book for those of you who enjoy a fast moving plot, full of blood and guts, with multiple bodies thrown in for good measure.
For the first few chapters, there are a couple of suspects in the case, but as the story progressess and the plot thickens, it quickly becomes clear who the murderer is, the story then develops around the pursuit and capture of that person.
The suspect is a smooth operator, who uses their position and influence to full effect, in order to channel suspicion away from them, whilst calculating the end game scenario, which they all know is inevitable. As with all characters of such a devious, egotistical nature, there is always someone waiting in the wings, who has been humiliated and taken for granted once too often and is willing to do the right thing, when presented with a suitable opportunity.
Whilst there was some lack of descriptive substance in the police procedural aspects of the case and the plot and outcome was somewhat predictable, the narrative was, on the whole, well crafted. The characters had plenty of depth to them, whilst the local search areas were well described and set the scene well.
The character of Sonora is still being developed into this second book, although I felt that a little too much emphasis is placed on her private and family life, to the detriment of what is otherwise a promising detective's career.
She is a tenacious investigator, but one who doesn't always play things strictly by the book, meaning that her plans often backfire and therefore take a little longer to achieve. She is, however, learning that she needs to make a stand against power, prejudice and corruption from within and that intelligence and wit are her greatest weapons, to help her realise her place within the team and acceptance by her male colleagues.
All in all, this is a well thought out plot, with a well defined sequence of events, leading to the final and inevitable `end game'.
With the first book in the series having been written in 1995, Sonora Blair may have been a character before her time, as she must surely have been one of the earliest female detectives to hit the crime/thriller pages?
Sonora Blair, features in a series of just four books, but I am sure that long before then, her private life and career, will be in complete meltdown, if she carries on as she is now! Which, in reality, is probably a fairly accurate analogy of the disastrous work/life balance endured by many members of the force, the world over.
There seem to be the two stereotyped images of female detectives in fiction, either those who are trying desperately to juggle a work/home balance and failing miserably, or those who are determinedly single and married to their job, with Sonora falling into the first category.
She is the single mother of two children; a teenage son over whom she has little or no control; a younger daughter who spends much of this case being trailed around various locations by Sonora, who is unable to find care for her; and an ever increasingly complicated and uncontrollable love-life.
This is not a book for those of you who enjoy a fast moving plot, full of blood and guts, with multiple bodies thrown in for good measure.
For the first few chapters, there are a couple of suspects in the case, but as the story progressess and the plot thickens, it quickly becomes clear who the murderer is, the story then develops around the pursuit and capture of that person.
The suspect is a smooth operator, who uses their position and influence to full effect, in order to channel suspicion away from them, whilst calculating the end game scenario, which they all know is inevitable. As with all characters of such a devious, egotistical nature, there is always someone waiting in the wings, who has been humiliated and taken for granted once too often and is willing to do the right thing, when presented with a suitable opportunity.
Whilst there was some lack of descriptive substance in the police procedural aspects of the case and the plot and outcome was somewhat predictable, the narrative was, on the whole, well crafted. The characters had plenty of depth to them, whilst the local search areas were well described and set the scene well.
The character of Sonora is still being developed into this second book, although I felt that a little too much emphasis is placed on her private and family life, to the detriment of what is otherwise a promising detective's career.
She is a tenacious investigator, but one who doesn't always play things strictly by the book, meaning that her plans often backfire and therefore take a little longer to achieve. She is, however, learning that she needs to make a stand against power, prejudice and corruption from within and that intelligence and wit are her greatest weapons, to help her realise her place within the team and acceptance by her male colleagues.
All in all, this is a well thought out plot, with a well defined sequence of events, leading to the final and inevitable `end game'.
July 24, 2009
I remember this as being VERY creepy!
January 11, 2017
It's amazing. I couldn't put it down for two seconds. Just as good as flashpoint!
February 27, 2019
Found this enjoyable to read. No twists or turns but that didn't take anything away from the story. There was some other case mentioned in the middle of the story which I feel was loosely appropriate and it confused me a little why it was being mentioned but apart from that, it was good.
March 2, 2023
Another fantastic read from Hightower! Rich characters, vivid descriptions and great dialogue. I never thought I'd enjoy reading a serial character like Sonora Blair like I am. I plan on reading more!
May 30, 2019
I never read the first one of this series, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of this book as the previous story was barely mentioned. Lighthearted and thoroughly enjoyable read.
July 15, 2020
OK, but would read better at 200 pages. Too much distraction with boring family life.
November 2, 2025
Another great book!
The writing is crisp, and the characters felt real to me. I can not ask for anything more. I am looking forward to the next book.
The writing is crisp, and the characters felt real to me. I can not ask for anything more. I am looking forward to the next book.
July 29, 2010
The writing is thrifty and flows well. The bad guy is announced pretty early in the book, and the twists and turns of the plot revolve around how they come up with him as a viable suspect in the first place, as well as how they come up with real evidence to uphold his arrest and trial.
As the book unfolds, the guy's gold-old-boy facade starts to decompose, revealing more and more people who don't really thinks he's god's gift to District Attorneys.
The lead character, Sonora Blair, and her partner, Sam Delarosa, work well together, either in spite of, or because of, their attraction to each other. Sometimes, even in real life, that vibe works in your favor. Detective Blair is a single mom, with single mom quirks and foibles, and a special hiding place for her Oreos. Yes, a woman after my own heart. I always buy two, so I can keep one in a secret hiding place. LOL
Secondary characters, including the dog, Clampett, and the family members of the deceased/missing women, are real. Not really any throwaways here, which makes the whole story that much more enjoyable. Everybody has something to contribute.
The sex is kind of an afterthought, short, sweet and to the point, and other than a small logistical problem, really has no impact on the story as a whole. I hope, for the sake of this single mom character, that that part of the stories gets better.
As the book unfolds, the guy's gold-old-boy facade starts to decompose, revealing more and more people who don't really thinks he's god's gift to District Attorneys.
The lead character, Sonora Blair, and her partner, Sam Delarosa, work well together, either in spite of, or because of, their attraction to each other. Sometimes, even in real life, that vibe works in your favor. Detective Blair is a single mom, with single mom quirks and foibles, and a special hiding place for her Oreos. Yes, a woman after my own heart. I always buy two, so I can keep one in a secret hiding place. LOL
Secondary characters, including the dog, Clampett, and the family members of the deceased/missing women, are real. Not really any throwaways here, which makes the whole story that much more enjoyable. Everybody has something to contribute.
The sex is kind of an afterthought, short, sweet and to the point, and other than a small logistical problem, really has no impact on the story as a whole. I hope, for the sake of this single mom character, that that part of the stories gets better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2013
Great plot line, herky-jerky follow-through
Have you ever been in a car with someone who is learning how to drive a stick shift? If not, let me assure you, you will be bounced around without warning and it will be quite unpleasant until you get used to it or until the driver gets better.
In the case of Eyeshot , you'd better get used to it.
Hightower has created a wonderful concept for a police novel - how do you get the criminal when the suspect is a high profile prosecutor? Her characters work the outside edges of the system until they can finally make their move and it is an interesting concept and quite the challenge.
Unfortunately, it is made even more challenging by Hightower's choppy plot lines. Oftentimes, I felt like I was coming in to the middle...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/...
Have you ever been in a car with someone who is learning how to drive a stick shift? If not, let me assure you, you will be bounced around without warning and it will be quite unpleasant until you get used to it or until the driver gets better.
In the case of Eyeshot , you'd better get used to it.
Hightower has created a wonderful concept for a police novel - how do you get the criminal when the suspect is a high profile prosecutor? Her characters work the outside edges of the system until they can finally make their move and it is an interesting concept and quite the challenge.
Unfortunately, it is made even more challenging by Hightower's choppy plot lines. Oftentimes, I felt like I was coming in to the middle...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/...
July 7, 2011
I don't know where or when I got this book, but what a fantastic read. Kept me gripped with the fantastic storyline - so much so that I was nearly late back to work. A great read and I'll be looking out for her other books now.
March 9, 2009
Turning into a good series.
June 13, 2019
This makes quite grim reading. Not for the faint hearted.
April 6, 2014
Story was okay, but it was extremely predictable.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews