Unknown Means

Evelyn James #2

by Elizabeth Becka, Lisa Black

In Elizabeth Becka's latest highly suspenseful novel, forensic scientist Evelyn James returns to investigate a harrowing series of crimes--only to find that no one is safe.

Evelyn James is a forensic specialist in the Cleveland Medical Examiner's office who's juggling a demanding workload, a teenage daughter from a failed marriage, and a homicide detective boyfriend. And somehow she always happens to be involved in some of the twistiest, most challenging crime scenes imaginable.

This time around she's called in to investigate what appears to be a locked-room A wealthy woman is murdered in the penthouse suite of a luxurious, high-security building. The building's intricate surveillance system didn't pick up anything, the entrance wasn't forced, and the victim's husband has an airtight alibi. Cases like this, Evelyn knows, can turn on the most microscopic piece of evidence--if she can find any. Things look even trickier when another victim turns up in another penthouse suite. Then Evelyn's best friend is attacked--and things get personal. And when a third person is found dead, Evelyn realizes that the killer's choice of victim is anything but random. . .

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Suspense

324 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Aka Lisa Black

Elizabeth Becka Lansky is a forensic specialist working with the Cape Coral, Florida, police department. Formerly with the Coroner's Office in Cleveland, Ohio, she has lectured to students and officers, has testified as an expert witness, is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and is certified by the American Board of Criminalistics.

She spent five years of her life in a morgue. After 10 years as a secretary, she went back to school to get a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Cleveland State University.

Reviews

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another good installment for the Evelyn James forensic series-albeit the last one after Trace Evidence, before Elizabeth Becka became Lisa Black to write a new series still set in Cleveland. We're so wrapped up into Evelyn's life as a forensic scientist, a single mother of a teenage daughter, and a new love interest in her life, who wants to take it one step further. When she's on a case with many curvy twists and turns and a possible connection to her best friend's attack, it's almost too close to call when it hits home. There's plenty of non-stop action as we're enveloped into Evelyn's life and welcome into her world, 24/7, with many surprises along the way.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth Becka's second published forensic novel has been receiving acclaimed reviews - recommending her work as better than those written by Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs. So it is unfortunate that she has been dropped by her publisher. Look for her future titles to be released under her new pen name "Lisa Black". I listened to "Unknown Means" and enjoyed listening to her detailed descriptions of the forensic process.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evelyn James is a forensic specialist juggling being a mom, having a career, and dealing with her romantic life. She starts investigating a series of rape/murders, and has to find a way the cases connect, despite having almost no evidence to that effect.

The ending came rather more abruptly than I anticipated, somehow, but it was still a page-turner. I look forward to reading more of this author's work.

[Tory Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unknown Means takes place in Cleveland, Ohio and its description of local places will be enjoyed by Clevelanders. The main character works in the Medical Examiners Office as a technician collecting samples at crime scenes. She becomes involved with a serial murderer case and works to solve the mystery. Some of her exploits are rather unbelievable and not all the characters are fully developed, but despite these shortcomings it is an interesting read.

[Reader_Shark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is about a man killing certain women and it is unknown how he gets into their apartment. It turns out he is an elevator repair man who rides on top of the elevator undetected and the reason he is killing these particular women is because they were involved in a car accident which disabled his son.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the sequel to Trace Evidence which I read previously. It was a good police procedural/thriller. It won’t continue though because the author started to write under another name, Lisa Black. Maybe I’ll give her a try. They were written in 2009 which doesn’t seem so long ago but it is!! I have so many on my TBR shelf as it is!

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satisfying mystery read with a forensic technician that gets in over her head and must fight to survive. This is a two book series and the beginning and end of author Elizabeth Becka. Trace Evidence is the first Evelyn James as protagonist novel. Read Trace Evidence first.

[Gregory Van Den Berg · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I began to read the story, I thought what an interesting and believable one. However, the story went from believable to unbelievable to unrealistic. Why do authors need to make their protagonists super heroes?

[aprilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty easy going, I'd read another from this series

[Katie Kilcullen · Rating 3 out of 5]

so slow

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evelyn James is a forensic specialist in the Cleveland Medical Examiner's office who's juggling a demanding workload, a teenage daughter from a failed marriage, and a homicide detective boyfriend. This time around she's called in to investigate what appears to be a locked-room mystery: A wealthy woman is murdered in the penthouse suite of a luxurious, high-security building. The building's intricate surveillance system didn't pick up anything, the entrance wasn't forced, and the victim's husband has an airtight alibi. Cases like this, Evelyn knows, can turn on the most microscopic piece of evidence--if she can find any. Things look even trickier when another victim turns up in another penthouse suite.

Another book set in Cleveland! That's two in a row. And there are a couple scenes in a salt mine underneath Lake Erie (which I did not know existed). The book was pretty good. I'd read more in the series.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Becka lived in the Cleveland, Ohio area and was formerly with the coroner's office in Cleveland. Having lived in the Cleveland/Akron area all my life, her use of building and places having familiarty made the story seem much more real. Even those places/buildings which had their names changed were recognizable. This book is literally a page-turner, and kept me up a couple nights far longer than I should have been awake....just to see what would happen next. Each unexpected murder in the "series" came with the sense of "what can happen next?" If felt as though the events were happening to friends of mine, and I wanted to be sure that justice was served.

[Phillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author's first book was very good and this follow up book was just as good. Her Evelyn James character is a forensics specialist with the Cleveland ME's office. Because Becka herself is also a forensic specialist it shows in her writing. Becka's imagination is wonderful how she put the story out these and you the reader is following along knowing as much as Evelyn does and when she does. As the reader you're trying to put all the evidence together and come up with the murderer and why just as Evelyn is. I will be reading her next book series that she has written as Lisa Black. I am sure it will be just as good.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Evelyn James series. Her love life is picking up with the homicide detective but he wants their relationship to be more permanent than she is ready for. Her daughter is being a typical teenager. Things at work really heat up when a woman is found dead inside her locked penthouse. Then a coworker is attacked at the same building and the detectives focus on the residents. Next a woman is found murdered in a penthouse across town and the police don't know who is responsible. The victims seem to have nothing in common. When Evelyn goes chasing after the murderer, her life is in danger and she realizes what is really important to her.

[Ruth · Rating 1 out of 5]

c2008. Hmmm - this was picked up from the library by my sister. The cover looked good, the bio looked good, the synopsis looked good, execution - not so good. Too much dialogue - stilted - not sure about the conclusion either. Just didn't enjoy! "It's the little things that tell on us, partner. Always. Like when we interview a suspect - he looks up at the ceiling every time he lies, or he taps his foot when we ask about the drugs. It's the things we don't even know we do." ? second novel syndrome?

[Dawn Livingston]

I'm not leaving a rating because I don't think it would be fair to. I got to about page 50 and decided to give up. Usually I give a book a few more pages to change my mind but I have tons of other books to read so...

The story didn't gel for me in the first 50 pages. The main character had potential but that's all, and the story didn't grab me. Maybe I'm just not in a mystery mood. Oh well, I'm on to the next book. Try this book regardless of my review though because you might actually like it.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crime lab scientist Evelyn James investigates the murder of a wealthy woman from a locked, high-security condominium. Meanwhile, her private life is in turmoil because of the constant struggles with her teenage daughter and a faltering relationship with her detective partner.


Second in a series.
Evelyn James is a likeable, human character with problems like the rest of us.
The Cleveland setting makes it interesting.
Highly recommended.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent entry in the Evelyn James series (set in Cleveland) -- I loved this book! It all starts when a woman is murdered in a high-class condo/penthouse. Did her lying cheating husband do it? Perhaps, but soon there are other murders committed using the same weapon. Do we have a serial killer and why is he or she doing this?

I have to admit that Elizabeth Becka keeps you guessing until the very end -- I was sure that the killer was somebody else!

[Lee Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a good one, but if elevators freak you out like they do me, it'll give you fits! Go ahead and read it anyway. A murder of a young woman in a high rise has Evelyn investigating. Personal details of Evelyn's everyday life lend authenticity to the character and reveal just how important it is to draw a line between home and her disturbing work.

Also read her Theresa MacLean forensic thrillers under the name Lisa Black.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very exciting! These are police procedures with the forensic steps added. The main characters, Evelyn (Trace Evidence scientist) and David (Homicide Detective) add a romantic twist to the plot's many crime twists. Three women are cruelly murdered in essentially locked rooms. Were they united any way? How did the murderer gain access to their apartments? With the author's professional training and experiences in Cleveland's morgue, it all rings true.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Elizabeth Becka wants to be Patricia Cornwell when she grows up...or maybe Kathy Reichs...weird stuff in this one, as in a salt mine below Lake Erie? Who knew? :)

I didn't really care about the characters, but I suspect that was my fault, not EBs.

I might actually read the prequel -- maybe then I'd know the characters.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story line. I didn't like the first book of the series, but did enjoy this one. Sometimes there's a bit much detail in the procedures (she's a CSI-type--Trace Evidence), but they sound true. Funny thing is, it's mentioned a couple times about how things are "not like the TV shows"...and what I hear on the CSI-type TV shows is things are "not like the books say".

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, although I found it to drag in parts (therefore 3 stars and not 4.) Overall, the descriptions of a forensic scientist's job duties were interesting---morbid but interesting. I liked her personal connection to the case--it made it more meaningful. The last couple of chapters were nail-biters....I liked the suspense the author built into it.

[Malina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good, but I wonder how the ME gets away with doing the Police Depts work by investigating the murder. The main character was hardly ever at her office doing her real job. David (the boyfriend) also pissed me off he came across as such a clingy, suffocating type, "Red Flag" run! Lol.

[Freda Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evelyn James is a forensic specialist but does more investigating than she does forensic work. Deals with her home life, her reluctance to commit. Good. Trying to decide if I want to read more of her books.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great forensic mystery that was well plotted, had interesting character development and good twists. I will read her other novels.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as good as her first novel, but it keeps the reader's interest and is full of forensic facts. I admit I'm partial 'cos I've met her, but I think I would've like it even if I hadn't.

[Oldbluebus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable summer read, but not as engrossing as the said-to-be-similar Kay Scarpetta novels.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a good book, but took me forever to read it. Haven't done much reading lately. Bad me!!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good mystery. Forensic descriptions are not too graphic, which suits me just fine. The story moves along at a nice pace and keeps you guessing.