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Joe Burgess #6
A Child Shall Lead Them
A Girl's Mutilated Body is Found on a Portland, Maine Hiking Trail in A Child Shall Lead Them, a Murder Mystery Thriller by Kate Flora
--Portland, Maine--
When a jogger discovers the brutalized body of a young girl along a park trail, the ever cranky and relentless, Detective Joe Burgess catches the case.
With the body lacking head and hands, Burgess and his team face complex challenges as they follow a confusing trail leading to human traffickers exploiting children coming to America as asylum seekers.
As Joe and his team race the clock to identify the dead girl in time to save other victims, Joe's own niece falls into the hands of the sex traffickers. For detectives hell-bent on finding a killer and busting a trafficking ring . . . it just got personal.
Publisher's Note: While this story deals with the harsh reality of sexual slavery and child pornography, there are no explicit scenes and only mild vulgarity. The story emphasizes the personal and professional struggles of those investigating the crime.
Winner of the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction
"Flora pours on the intensity in this criminal, legal and moral maze." ~Kirkus Reviews
"Flora writes cops so convincingly it's hard to imagine she's never worn the badge herself." ~Bruce Robert Coffin, author of Among the Shadows
THE JOE BURGESS MYSTERIES
i>Playing God
The Angel of Knowlton Park
Redemption
And Grant You Peace
Led Astray
A Child Shall Lead Them
A World of Deceit
--Portland, Maine--
When a jogger discovers the brutalized body of a young girl along a park trail, the ever cranky and relentless, Detective Joe Burgess catches the case.
With the body lacking head and hands, Burgess and his team face complex challenges as they follow a confusing trail leading to human traffickers exploiting children coming to America as asylum seekers.
As Joe and his team race the clock to identify the dead girl in time to save other victims, Joe's own niece falls into the hands of the sex traffickers. For detectives hell-bent on finding a killer and busting a trafficking ring . . . it just got personal.
Publisher's Note: While this story deals with the harsh reality of sexual slavery and child pornography, there are no explicit scenes and only mild vulgarity. The story emphasizes the personal and professional struggles of those investigating the crime.
Winner of the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction
"Flora pours on the intensity in this criminal, legal and moral maze." ~Kirkus Reviews
"Flora writes cops so convincingly it's hard to imagine she's never worn the badge herself." ~Bruce Robert Coffin, author of Among the Shadows
THE JOE BURGESS MYSTERIES
i>Playing God
The Angel of Knowlton Park
Redemption
And Grant You Peace
Led Astray
A Child Shall Lead Them
A World of Deceit
- GenresMystery
392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 11, 2019
131 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Kate Flora
54 books127 followersKate Flora grew up on a chicken farm in Maine where the Friday afternoon trip to the library was the high point of her week. She dreamed of being able to create the kind of compelling, enchanting worlds of the books she disappeared into every week, but growing up in the era when “help wanted” ads were still sex-segregated, she felt her calling was to go to law school and get the job they told her she couldn’t have.
After law school, Kate worked in the Maine attorney general’s office, protecting battered kids, chasing deadbeat dads, and representing the Human Rights Commission. Those years taught her all a crime writer needs to know about the human propensity to commit horrible acts. After some years in private practice, she decided to give writing a serious try when she quit the law to stay at home for a few years with her young sons. That ‘serious try’ led to ten tenacious and hellacious years in the unpublished writer’s corner, followed, finally, by the sale of her Thea Kozak series.
Kate’s eighteen books will include eight Thea Kozak mysteries, five gritty Joe Burgess police procedurals, a suspense thriller (written under the name Katharine Clark), two true crime books, Death Dealer and Finding Amy (co-written with Joseph Loughlin, a Portland, Maine Deputy Police Chief), a Maine game warden's memoir, A Good Man with a Dog, co-written with Roger Guay, and a book about police shootings from the police point of view, Shots Fired: The misunderstandings, misconceptions, and myths about police shootings, co-written with Joseph K. Loughlin. Finding Amy was a 2007 Edgar nominee as well as a Maine Literary Award finalist, and has been optioned for a movie. Kate’s award-winning short stories have been widely anthologized and Redemption and And Grant You Peace, her third and fourth Joe Burgess mysteries, won the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction.
Flora's fiction, nonfiction, and short fiction have been finalists for the Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, and Derringer Awards.
She is a founding member of the New England Crime Bake, the region's annual mystery conference, and the Maine Crime Wave. With two other crime writers, she started founded Level Best Books, where she worked as an editor and publisher for seven years. She served a term as international president of Sisters in Crime, an organization founded to promote awareness of women writers’ contributions to the mystery field. Currently, she teaches writing and does manuscript critiques for Grub Street in Boston.
She has two sons (one into film and the other into photovoltaics) two lovely daughters-in-law, an adorable eight-year-old grandson and five granddogs, Frances, Otis, Harvey, Oscar, and Daisy. When not conducting research for her novels and nonfiction—research that includes riding an ATV through the Canadian woods or hiding in a tick-infested field waiting to be found by search and rescue dogs—Kate can often be found in her garden, waging war against the woodchucks and her husband’s lawnmower, or in the kitchen, devising clever and devious ways to get the men in her life to eat their vegetables.
After law school, Kate worked in the Maine attorney general’s office, protecting battered kids, chasing deadbeat dads, and representing the Human Rights Commission. Those years taught her all a crime writer needs to know about the human propensity to commit horrible acts. After some years in private practice, she decided to give writing a serious try when she quit the law to stay at home for a few years with her young sons. That ‘serious try’ led to ten tenacious and hellacious years in the unpublished writer’s corner, followed, finally, by the sale of her Thea Kozak series.
Kate’s eighteen books will include eight Thea Kozak mysteries, five gritty Joe Burgess police procedurals, a suspense thriller (written under the name Katharine Clark), two true crime books, Death Dealer and Finding Amy (co-written with Joseph Loughlin, a Portland, Maine Deputy Police Chief), a Maine game warden's memoir, A Good Man with a Dog, co-written with Roger Guay, and a book about police shootings from the police point of view, Shots Fired: The misunderstandings, misconceptions, and myths about police shootings, co-written with Joseph K. Loughlin. Finding Amy was a 2007 Edgar nominee as well as a Maine Literary Award finalist, and has been optioned for a movie. Kate’s award-winning short stories have been widely anthologized and Redemption and And Grant You Peace, her third and fourth Joe Burgess mysteries, won the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction.
Flora's fiction, nonfiction, and short fiction have been finalists for the Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, and Derringer Awards.
She is a founding member of the New England Crime Bake, the region's annual mystery conference, and the Maine Crime Wave. With two other crime writers, she started founded Level Best Books, where she worked as an editor and publisher for seven years. She served a term as international president of Sisters in Crime, an organization founded to promote awareness of women writers’ contributions to the mystery field. Currently, she teaches writing and does manuscript critiques for Grub Street in Boston.
She has two sons (one into film and the other into photovoltaics) two lovely daughters-in-law, an adorable eight-year-old grandson and five granddogs, Frances, Otis, Harvey, Oscar, and Daisy. When not conducting research for her novels and nonfiction—research that includes riding an ATV through the Canadian woods or hiding in a tick-infested field waiting to be found by search and rescue dogs—Kate can often be found in her garden, waging war against the woodchucks and her husband’s lawnmower, or in the kitchen, devising clever and devious ways to get the men in her life to eat their vegetables.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 16, 2022
I enjoyed this book. While the subject matter (crimes against children) should makes any sane person horrified, it does bring to light that these type of crimes happen more often than we care to believe.
The characters were ok to me. I don’t know how to feel about them, but this is my first time reading this series, so some feeling of uncertainty is to be expected.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and I would recommend it.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
The characters were ok to me. I don’t know how to feel about them, but this is my first time reading this series, so some feeling of uncertainty is to be expected.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and I would recommend it.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
March 1, 2023
Joe Burgess, Book 6.
There's something about this series of books that keeps me coming back. It's definitely not the crimes, because some are pretty over the top. It must be the characters. Joe and his team are stand-up guys, trying to do the right thing within the dark and swirling chaos, demonstrating a lack of humanity each and every day. I enjoy the closeness of Joe's professional family and the closeness of his personal family. It seems to be a Venn diagram with nearly overlapping circles.
I love the setting, mostly Portland, ME, but their investigations take them to other locales. Places with which I am familar, on some level.
This one was filled with low-life, bottom feeders who have replaced humanity and compassion with cruelty, greed and audacity. Its a human trafficing situation. The criminals change identities, transportation choices and locations faster than the team can track them and seem to have quite a few resurces at their command.
Red herrings, buffoon bureaucracy and some fairly organized criminals kept me guessing until the end.
There's something about this series of books that keeps me coming back. It's definitely not the crimes, because some are pretty over the top. It must be the characters. Joe and his team are stand-up guys, trying to do the right thing within the dark and swirling chaos, demonstrating a lack of humanity each and every day. I enjoy the closeness of Joe's professional family and the closeness of his personal family. It seems to be a Venn diagram with nearly overlapping circles.
I love the setting, mostly Portland, ME, but their investigations take them to other locales. Places with which I am familar, on some level.
This one was filled with low-life, bottom feeders who have replaced humanity and compassion with cruelty, greed and audacity. Its a human trafficing situation. The criminals change identities, transportation choices and locations faster than the team can track them and seem to have quite a few resurces at their command.
Red herrings, buffoon bureaucracy and some fairly organized criminals kept me guessing until the end.
July 29, 2020
Can’t wait for November’s release!
January 30, 2022
I enjoy this series, and this book is no exception, though with reservations. As other have mentioned, this is a book with gruesome corpse details and a theme of children sexually victimized by adult predators, and I believe Flora has explored victimization of children in a previous book in the series, and I hope this is the end of that subject.
I read a fair number of police procedurals, and this series is among the best in describing the meticulous steps police must use to solve a crime. I also appreciate the strong characterization that is seen in all the burgess series books. In most police stories, the only emotions explored are anger and disgust; Flora goes deeper, and all the central figures are well-crafted. There is also a lot of effective repartee, especially between Joe Burgess and Terry Kyle.
But there are downsides here as well. The writing is merely serviceable, and sometimes hackneyed. The plot is unnecessarily convoluted, and the ending seemed a bit over the top to me, though I have to admit it did generate an emotional response. I also counted 39 characters who had a "speaking role," which is a bit hard to keep track of, plus two dogs, who did not speak (ha!). Finally, one of the aspects of this series I have enjoyed has been the sense of Portland which they convey. I did not feel that connection reading this one, though; for the most part, the story could have occurred anywhere.
Anyway, this is a good series. I have read all of them, and will proceed to number seven.
I read a fair number of police procedurals, and this series is among the best in describing the meticulous steps police must use to solve a crime. I also appreciate the strong characterization that is seen in all the burgess series books. In most police stories, the only emotions explored are anger and disgust; Flora goes deeper, and all the central figures are well-crafted. There is also a lot of effective repartee, especially between Joe Burgess and Terry Kyle.
But there are downsides here as well. The writing is merely serviceable, and sometimes hackneyed. The plot is unnecessarily convoluted, and the ending seemed a bit over the top to me, though I have to admit it did generate an emotional response. I also counted 39 characters who had a "speaking role," which is a bit hard to keep track of, plus two dogs, who did not speak (ha!). Finally, one of the aspects of this series I have enjoyed has been the sense of Portland which they convey. I did not feel that connection reading this one, though; for the most part, the story could have occurred anywhere.
Anyway, this is a good series. I have read all of them, and will proceed to number seven.
April 8, 2021
First this book contains descriptions of violence against children. If this is a trigger for you, you’ll probably want to pass on this story no matter how good it is.
Secondly the review:
Fourth of July should be a happy joyous occasion. Especially when you’re at a picnic with family and friend watching the kids run around and eating food that was excellently grilled. Alas that idyllic picture is not the life of a cop. For Detective Sargent Joe Burgess and his team their holiday is broken up when they are called to a scene of a murdered child, a bad one for sure. From then on the clock is ticking and the team is racing to find the killer.
With every witness, every new fact, every question the case gets murkier and more disturbing. But then cases with children always are. The team feels an unstoppable desire to find justice and close this one. The case takes a particularly difficult turn when Joe’s niece becomes involved. The darkness involved is haunting. The story has twists and turns and so many surprises. Deeply haunting yet also fascinating and difficult to put down. This may be Burgess’s worst case but it’s a riveting story for the reader.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
Secondly the review:
Fourth of July should be a happy joyous occasion. Especially when you’re at a picnic with family and friend watching the kids run around and eating food that was excellently grilled. Alas that idyllic picture is not the life of a cop. For Detective Sargent Joe Burgess and his team their holiday is broken up when they are called to a scene of a murdered child, a bad one for sure. From then on the clock is ticking and the team is racing to find the killer.
With every witness, every new fact, every question the case gets murkier and more disturbing. But then cases with children always are. The team feels an unstoppable desire to find justice and close this one. The case takes a particularly difficult turn when Joe’s niece becomes involved. The darkness involved is haunting. The story has twists and turns and so many surprises. Deeply haunting yet also fascinating and difficult to put down. This may be Burgess’s worst case but it’s a riveting story for the reader.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
July 23, 2019
A Child Shall Lead Them opens with the discovery of the beaten, tortured, headless and mutilated body of a young girl, discarded in a wooded park. Detective Sgt. Joe Burgess leads the team trying to learn the identities of the child and her murderers. Painstaking police work leads to another horrific scene — 5 more naked, hungry and abused little girls, chained in a bare basement room and a storage shed, on the brink of death, victims of sex trafficking of undocumented immigrant children. The book portrays the mind-numbing horror of police work, their constant urgency, frustration and depression as the case plods along, the dangers they face, and the toll the job takes on their minds, health and families. Unlike many suspense books that simultaneously switch from the viewpoint of the cops and the perpetrators, each advance in this investigation is revealed to the police and the reader simultaneously. The suspense builds and builds, to a dramatic closure. I couldn’t stop reading, and I recommend the book to anyone who appreciates gritty police facing the worst kind of criminals.
I received this book free from ebook discovery. This is my voluntary and honest review.
I received this book free from ebook discovery. This is my voluntary and honest review.
August 18, 2019
Kate Flora warned me that A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM is dark, but I was already hooked by then, and as my hero, Joe Burgess, said, all homicides are dark. I was trying to figure out why I could stand the gritty parts of this (book club friends knew to warn me away from some books). I believe it's because I trust Joe to prevail and to keep sight of the human side of life. Hurt little children need ice cream, and with the sweetness that is their nature, they also offer ice cream to adults they care for. The answer is also in the writing, the focus on the good guys, their promise of justice, their hard work, the attempt to balance horrific work with the warmth and happy chaos of domestic life. That weary “hopeless dinosaur” feeling that had him thinking of retirement reminded me of teachers in May. “My Joe” needs some rest, a vacation, time to recharge for the next battle. Please, Kate Flora, may we have another?
Addendum: the subplot with the spoiled, distracted driver of the little sports car may well save lives, and Joe’s sternness when called for and gentle comfort when appropriate raised him even further in my estimation.
Addendum: the subplot with the spoiled, distracted driver of the little sports car may well save lives, and Joe’s sternness when called for and gentle comfort when appropriate raised him even further in my estimation.
August 10, 2022
This is not the first Joe Burgess story I have read, but I haven't read them all yet. (That's my mistake and I plan to correct it soon!) However, I can tell you that the author does a great job filling in enough backstory that you will not feel lost. Also, the case is completed in each book without a cliffhanger. IMO, that's one sign of a really good series. Another is complex characters, and this series certainly has that. Each character is well-written, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The dialogue is realistic. I felt like I was right there on the case with. these detectives. I know it's a good book when I stay up late, or push other tasks to the side in order to read. I did both. Warning: it is a truly dark topic. I understand if that's not your idea of reading for pleasure. But if you appreciate a really great police procedural, characters you care about, and the fight of good versus evil -very evil - then I would highly recommend this book and this series.
I did receive a copy at no cost, but this is my honest review.
I did receive a copy at no cost, but this is my honest review.
July 28, 2019
Detective Joe Burgess and his partners, Terry Kyle and Stan Perry investigate the body of a young girl found dumped in a park. Joe is an older cop and is beginning to wonder if it is time for him to move on, while his partners value the experience he brings to each case. The investigation will soon encompass the exploitation of young girls coming to the United States seeking asylum and the criminals that feed off of their desperation. In my opinion, if you are looking for a well-rounded mystery detailing the gritty and daily time-consuming work of detectives pursuing and following the evidence, then the Joe Burgess series is a must read. Characters that don’t give up, sometimes hardened by what they see each day, but compassionate in remembering that they are to “serve and protect.” I did not receive this book in order to review, but I read and enjoy every book written by Kate Flora (I highly recommend her Thea Kozak series as well). (by paytonpuppy)
July 10, 2019
This is the 6th book in the Joe Burgess series. This book deals with the issue of sex trafficking in Maine. This was a hard book to read because of the children involved in this case. It is also a hard subject for some people to read about, but I would rather be informed than uninformed. I really like that this author is not afraid to tackle tough issues, even though this is a fictional story. The subjects the author has dealt with in this series is truly educating and shows that this issues are prevalent all over the United States not just one community. Joe and his team find a dead girl which leads them to uncover a prostitutuion ring in Portland. A very emotional read but did enjoy the book. Highly recommend this book and the series.
May 23, 2022
I received a review copy from the author via eBook Discovery and this is my honest opinion. This story stayed with me long after I turned the last page. The subject matter was so horrifying (albeit more common than most people would like to think) and the characters' response to it was right on the mark. This story showed a much deeper level of feeling than some of the other books in the series, and that's saying a lot because none of these books are fluff pieces. They are dark and borderline depressing, but in the end, uplifting because of the dedication of the detectives and the support they receive from their families, without which they couldn't do their jobs. Ms. Flora paints the picture of this life very well. I can't wait to read the next in the series.
March 28, 2021
This is my sixth Joe Burgess mystery, and even though Kate Flora is a professional writer and teaches writing, I have seen improvement across the series, with less confusing internal dialogues, and repetitious passages. It was a pretty horrific premise for a story, and yet, she told the story in a sensitive manner. There were a couple of random passages missing words that while it didn’t make it unreadable, it stuck out in my mind. Words like “when” and “too
I received this book for free from EBook discovery and this is my honest review
June 11, 2019
Easy to read, good flow, no dead meat and great characters. The problem is that the plot is based on incredible stupidity and very strange behavior by the criminals. Why show themselves early on and not burn everything? Not good.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
June 16, 2019
This excellent read is not for the faint of heart!
A police procedural that deals with the sexual exploitation of children that will have you holding your breath.
Well written with a good storyline and three dimensional characters.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. This is my honest review.
A police procedural that deals with the sexual exploitation of children that will have you holding your breath.
Well written with a good storyline and three dimensional characters.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. This is my honest review.
March 14, 2021
This shows the dark side of police cases when Joe Burgess and his partners are faced with not just a horrific murder, but the exploitation of children and the monsters involved. It is a jet-speed, roller coaster ride that is impossible to put down. I got this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
April 8, 2021
I was surprised this book was so gruesome considering it was written by a female author. Subject matter was uncomfortable read for me. I was also left with some unanswered questions. Will read reviews of other books by this author before I read another one.
July 3, 2019
Love Joe, A cop who really cares for the people he serves. He always does his best for them, to the detriment of his own health and sometimes his own relationships. He is my hero!
September 9, 2019
Really good book. Good pace through out; all the characters seemed real & believable. Already looking for the next Kate Flora book to read!
October 23, 2020
An easy read style. The story is disturbing. I would recommend if you like crime stories
April 9, 2021
If only the world of police work could be so neatly patched up and solved in a book. I think what I like most about Ms. Flora’s work is that her research must be flawless. If she doesn’t have experience in the work of the police and crime scene folks you can’t tell. I feel that she definitely does due diligence. I often wonder the question posed in this book myself: What kind of person does it take to sexually assault a child? It baffles me as I sit here watching my son play and oserve my girls absorbed in their screens, that there are so many other children who don’t have that security. I couldn’t help but cry while reading this. I must admit that I had to take breaks. I would read and then play with my little humans. I felt shell-shocked maybe. I have to say that perhaps that’s what the world needs. A large shock. Thank you Ms. Flora.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews