I agree completely with the blurb from Stephen King on the cover: “One of the best books I’ve read in a long, long time”.
In 1983, Detective Francis X. Loughlin famously obtained a confession from a 17 year old male named Julian Vega for the brutal murder of a gorgeous, young, well liked young doctor named Allison Wallis. Vega was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life for murder.
In 2003, Detective Francis X. Loughlin is fairly rapidly going blind from retinitis pigmentosa. He is still working homicide, and has not told anyone, even his wife, about losing his eyesight. He is trying to hold on to make Detective First before he retires.
Julian Vega has had his conviction vacated by a judge, so he is out on the street. The world is utterly different for him than it was when he went into prison. He has what might be a hair trigger temper. Everything seems set up against him to send him back to prison.
Vega has a good lawyer on his side. Since the conviction was vacated, it’s up to Homicide to reinvestigate the case.
Detective Loughlin looks at Vega as a possible suspect when another young, pretty doctor is murdered. However, the DNA under her fingernails does not match Julian Vega. It’s a match for the victim, Allison, from twenty years before.
Great storytelling aside, this book’s strength is characterization. Every single character is well drawn. All are real people the reader both likes and dislikes. This is a fast, exceptional read; with humor, action, horror, thrills, and disappointments.
Highly recommended.