Fair Game

Jessie Drake Mysteries #1

by Rochelle Majer Krich, Doreen Owens Malek

"No cause for alarm," says Detective Jessie Drake on the evening news. "Be alert and wary of unfamiliar faces, lock your doors. We have several leads..." But as the newly appointed departmental spokesperson, Jessie knows full well that there are no leads. At least no sane leads. Just insane clues, left by a serial killer who is as playfully clever as he is cunningly dangerous. Five victims have been murdered thus far. Five different neighborhoods. The only link between them is the cause of death: each died by a lethal injection of curare. The police are stymied. Not since Spider Woman has anybody used curare, blow dart poison, as a murder weapon of choice. As the odd and mystifyingly obscure clues mount, something begins to click in Jessie's mind. Why do some of the bodies have bank deposit slips and money attached to them while one bears a parking ticket, of all things? Jessie can't quite put her finger on the connection. It's something from her childhood, something so familiar....Suddenly, Jessie figures it out, and she is stunned by the killer's twisted brilliance: the game he is playing is all too real. The gameboard is the city of Los Angeles and the winner claims his prize in blood.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

AKA: Rochelle Krich

Reviews

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent mystery! A serial killer playing a game of Monopoly and the detective who is intent on finding him before he kills again. And she knows he has been taunting her and now is angry. Could she be next?

[I Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A platform for a pretty powerful series.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2, round to 4

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

FAIR GAME - VG
Krich, Rochelle Mayer - 4th in series

Bodies with bank deposit slips and money attached to them. A new corpse with, of all things, a parking ticket. The city of Los Angeles has enough troubles without this new, insane rash of killings. And Detective Jessie Drake has problems of her own. Her ex-husband keeps barging back into her life and her visiting sister and nephew are starting to look like permanent houseguests. As the clues mount, she must face it all, including childhood memories that seem somehow connected to the murderer's twisted pattern. When yet another body turns up on the boardwalk in Venice, the playing pieces start to fall into place and Jessie is appointed the department spokesperson. She goes on TV and the killer is watching... counting his money, rolling the dice, and planning his next move against his last opponent-Jessie Drake.

Enjoyed it; a very good read.

[rivka · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first Jessie Drake book. Surprising twists, full of very real and very human pain and love. Fully-fleshed characters, with great back-stories.

[P.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found the protagonist annoying. Too many TSTL moments

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Killer chooses victims based on Monopoly. Clever.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

LAPD Jessie Drake #1

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to pause when reading this one because I had too many books started at once.. but I'm really glad I went back to it. Definitely captured my attention the whole way through! The use of Monopoly as the killer's "thing" was clever.