by Michael Connelly (narrated by Peter Giles and Zach Villa) (Compact Disc Connelly)
I read this latest entry in the Jack McEvoy series by Michael Connelly as an audiobook-on-cd, for the library-sponsored Just Desserts mystery book discussion group meeting in June 2021. Unlike Connelly’s other ongoing series, such as the Harry Bosch novels, which produce a new entry every year-or-so, Connelly spreads the novels featuring investigative reporter McEvoy out a bit more — anywhere from eight to a dozen or more years may pass between each new entry. In interviews, Connelly has even said that he finds the McEvoy novels the hardest of all his series to write, as McEvoy is the character closest to Connelly in real-life experiences.
In this entry, McEvoy, currently writing for a consumer affairs news website — the “Fair Warning” of the title — is pulled into an LAPD homicide investigation when a woman he had a one-night stand with years ago is murdered, apparently the latest victim of a crafty serial killer who uses a particularly brutal method to kill his victims. Though released from being a suspect, McEvoy feels connected to the case, and begins to believe there’s a story he should investigate. He is partnered with one of his colleagues to research a story involving consumer-level DNA analysis (genetics testing), and some of the apparent security loopholes in that industry. And there IS a story to be uncovered, as the serial killer has used genetics database connections to target his victims…and doesn’t want his trail to be uncovered.
McEvoy isn’t quite as unambivalently “righteous” as Bosch or several other recurring Connelly characters. But I found that his grayer edges made him a compelling character. The exploration of the DNA testing industry, and the ability to target potential sexual assault or murder victims based on genetic markers was somewhat chilling. And the cast of supporting characters was intriguing. The book-on-CD version of this includes a one-on-one interview between author Connelly and Myron Levin, the real-life editor/publisher of the real-life Fair Warning website, who allowed himself to be fictionalized for this story. [Note: the FairWarning.org site has ceased doing business as of February 2021, after 11 years as a consumer protection service.]
All in all, I found this to be a very solid Connelly entry!
[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Poet and The Scarecrow by Connelly, the previous two Jack McEvoy novels.]
[ official Fair Warning book page on the official Michael Connelly web site ]
Recommended
by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Services
Scott listened to this one for the Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group
discussion online in June 2021.
If you're a mystery fan, join us for the next group meeting on July 29th, where we'll be discussing the suspense novel One by One by Ruth Ware. The Just Desserts group has returned to in-person meetings as of June 2021. Join us at 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. in the 4th floor auditorium of the Bennett Martin Public Library downtown at 14th & "N" St. on the last Thursday of each upcoming month. For more information, check out the Just Desserts schedule at https://lincolnlibraries.org/bookguide/book-groups/#justdesserts
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