The Highlands

by Bill Larkin

LAPD Detective Trainee C.P. Mata is called to assist with a homicide investigation in The Highlands, an upscale neighborhood in the Pacific Palisades. The victim is a local man whose body was found in some bushes with a strange wound. The investigation leads them to a friend of the victim, an attractive single woman who comes up with her own suspect. Detectives convince her to help them set up a sting to catch the killer. It catches much more than they anticipated and it catapults Mata into a career as a homicide detective.



“Having grown up in southern California I felt right at home and ‘saw’ the places as they were described…that was definitely a treat!” – 5 Stars, Cathy G, Goodreads

“Writing a good short story is not as easy as many of us think. You must develop characters, setting and a good plot in a short time. Bill Larkin has managed to achieve this goal with his short story.....I will look forward to more by this author. In fact, I could easily envision a series on these two detectives.” – 5 Stars, Kathy, Goodreads

38 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2013

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing a god short story is not as easy as many of us think. You must develop characters, setting and a good plot in a short time. Bill Larkin has managed to achieve this goal with his short story, The Highlands. Mata, a young detective in training, is sent to help Washington, a seasoned detective, investigate a murder. The story is simple. A man, befriended by a young woman, who looks to him for help in screening out misfits and dangerous contenders in her dating regime, is found dead. Who killed him and why becomes the story focus, as characters and events unfold across the city. The story is not as simple as it seems. Beneath the surface lurks the story of a serial killer, and it is up to Mata and Washington to figure out who e/she is and if he/she is the murderer. The story is short but definitely well developed and interesting. I am glad I found it to read. I will look forward to more by this author. In fact, I could easily envision a series on these two detectives. If you enjoy reading something, not too lengthy but quite well written and interesting, that can be read in a relatively short time, such as a lunch hour or while waiting for an appointment, this is an excellent choice. I received this from Library Thing to read and review.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Larkin has a way with words. His writing is tight with plot development and characters flowing smoothly. Mata, a detective in training, is sent to help Detective Washington solve a murder. As the investigation unfolds more characters emerge and a serial murderer is eventually brought to justice. I can see this as a prequel to a series of books with Mata and Washington as central characters. Note: Having grown up in southern California I felt right at home and “saw” the places as they were described…that was definitely a treat!

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

LAPD detective Mata helped an investigation in the Highlands, a pricy neighborhood. He ended up catching the murderer but he also found more information to really put him away.
Since Mata was a rookie-what would happen- would he stay where he was or advance in his career?
This short story was a freebie from the author and I think that it was a good story-kind of slow at first but when the pace picked up, it kept right on going.