Avon (Paperback), ISBN 0061043893
Out on disability after a knee injury, D.C. cop Leigh Ann Warren keeps busy with detective work. Disillusioned by police work and disenchanted with her partner and former fiancé, Leigh Ann would like nothing better than to keep a low profile from everyone, including her friends.  

But Leigh Ann's reclusive existence falls apart when said former fiancé, Duck (a.k.a. Dillon Upshur Kennedy) -- contrary to all previous behavior patterns -- vanishes. Duck leaves behind a few vague clues and enough people looking for him to populate a small town jail. Although she tries to ignore the loose ends left by Duck's disappearance, Leigh Ann can't help but investigate when someone dumps a dead man in her apartment. 

The trail takes her to Duck's apartment, where more clues and tantalizing traces of Duck surface. Continuing to follow the tenuous leads, Leigh Ann's cop instincts sense a deeper meaning to all the seemingly unrelated clues. Leigh Ann ends up in a small town in western Maryland whose secrets and lies point back to Duck's past and right into a killer's lair. 

Never a traditionalist, Chassie West takes all the components of a cop story and polishes them into her own special brand of storytelling. Her seemingly solidly grounded prose often soars with the wings of poetry as she crafts a multifaceted mystery containing characters that remind you of your neighbors, friends and family.  

Killing Kin adds a new layer to the life and relationship of Leigh Ann and Duck, while engrossing readers in a compelling mystery story. Lovers of character-driven stories can revel in the rich complexities of the people and relationships, while those readers who prefer the more plot-oriented novels may well find themselves turning pages faster and faster, eagerly losing themselves in the well-crafted tale. West wins on all counts with this one -- as well she should. Continuing the tradition of excellence begun with Sunrise, and her non-series novel, Loss of Innocence, Chassie West proves to readers that they can have it all. 

Maria Y. Lima 

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