Slow Burn

Marti MacAlister #2

by Eleanor Taylor Bland

The deaths of a young woman and little girl in a suspicious fire that destroys a woman's clinic lead homicide detective Marti MacAlister and her partner, Vik Jessenovik, on the trail of an evil killer with a taste for young girls. Reprint.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1993

About the author

Eleanor Taylor Bland was an African American writer of crime fiction. She was the creator of Lincoln Prairie, Illinois (based on Waukegan, Illinois) police detective Marti McAllister.

Reviews

[Hal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This turned out to be a very good story.

I recently discovered Eleanor Taylor Bland as an author, and I'm growing to really enjoy Detective Marti Macalister. I didn't burn through this book, but it was a definite page turner for me. Given this was written in 1993, I feel it aged well. I found it pretty interesting that Bland tackled the crime she chose in this one. It's a crime that you don't see a lot of authors writing...Bland handled it amazingly well. I love how she handles the characters in her stories. I feel as if I'm growing with Marti, Vic, and Ben. Looking forward to the next one.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 3.5
PROTAGONIST: Marti McAllister, homicide detective
SETTING: Lincoln Prairie, Illinois
SERIES: #2
WHY: A young woman and a little girl are killed in a suspicious fire that destroys a woman's clinic.
An elderly woman who may have witnesses something is subsequently murdered. Marti MacAlister and her partner, Vik Jessenovik, diligently work the case but make almost no progress. It has become extremely distasteful since sexual abuse of young girls is involved. A solid police procedural.

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the first--still dealing with some devastating issues. I'm stoked to have come across this series and don't know how I missed it back in the day. Mac is turning into an intriguing character. The intersection of Black, female, and detective give her a unique perspective on things, especially when interacting with her community.

[Kw · Rating 3 out of 5]

The procedural elements held my interest, and there was a decent attempt to portray Marti and her kids' grief over the loss of their husband/father. But unsurprisingly there was zero interrogation of the role of police. Having just read and enjoyed my second Blanche White mystery (Barbara Neely), I doubt I'll return to this series.

[Julie Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Slow Burn."

Perfect.

I smiled when I finished this book. I always take that as a good sign.