William. Morrow, ISBN: 0-06-621237-5

When I open a new mystery and settle in for a relaxing reading session, I have high hopes -- and limited expectations -- that I'll find believable, multi-dimensional characters, a page turning plot to keep me guessing, and just plain old no doubt about it good writing. Clyde Phillips supplies all of these in his third novel, Sacrifice.

Philanthropic business man Philip Iverson stands before an adoring crowd to announce a fifty million dollar donation for a children's cancer center, exits the ballroom amid a thunderous ovation and dies of gunshot wounds in the parking garage.

The San Francisco police chief calls on Lieutenant Jane Candiotti and Inspector Kenny Marks, her husband of four months, to handle the politically sensitive murder. While at the scene of the crime, Candiotti becomes aware of a second murder. The second victim, a young black homeless man, died of apparent stab wounds at a San Francisco pier. The investigation of the second murder becomes rookie homicide detective Linda French's case.

Despite explicit instructions from the chief to focus entirely on the Iverson case, Candiotti visits the site of the second murder. There she finds unexpected marks on the victim and a mysterious figure outlined in blood nearby. She suspects a serial killer may be at large. Much to her dismay, her suspicions become reality.

Pushed and pulled by the public clamor to bring the Iverson case to a successful conclusion, Candiotti must deal with personal doubts, rebellious subordinates and a strained relationship with her husband as she fulfills her duty as lead investigator. A break in the Iverson case comes in the form of an anonymous letter containing a set of coded numbers. Struggling to decipher the critical clue, Candiotti and Marks embark on a dangerous quest to find the author and connect the seemingly disparate murders.

Intriguing, fast paced and suspenseful, Sacrifice grabs the reader on the first page and never lets go. Phillips possesses a wonderful ear for believable dialog, and the relationship between Lieutenant Candiotti and Inspector Marks rings true. Egos sometimes do get in the way of common sense. As for the twists and turns in the plot line, if you are like me you'll find yourself completely engaged in trying to put all the right pieces together to solve the crime before Candiotti does. Of course I figured it out early on -- or maybe I didn't. I couldn't be sure until, literally, the last page turn of the novel.

Clint Hunter

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