"Good Mystery with strong psychological elements."
Reviewed by Pari Noskin Taichert
Posted July 20, 2005
Thriller Police Procedural
A man wakes in a parking garage with the horrible memory of
being murdered. Or, is it a dream? So begins Lee Killough's KILLER KARMA, a doozy of a mystery,
about Detective Cole Dunavan who realizes he's a ghost far
sooner than he remembers who he is. Having a curious and
ordered mind, Dunavan begins to notice patterns in his
random memories and their subsequent associations until he
is able to piece together his own biography. But he remains
unclear about why he's been pulled back to this world rather
than simply dying. Being a ghost comes with other challenges: how can you turn
the page in a police report if you can't move anything with
substance? How do you communicate with people? How can you
ride an elevator to the right floor in a high rise building
without the ability to push a button? Killough masterfully
brings up and solves these problems in believable ways. The mysteries of Dunavan's murder—and what happened to one
of his new informants—form the core of the middle of the
book. But even after Dunavan has solved these questions—he
still has to figure out how to prove the answers, bring the
criminals to justice and console those who have suffered the
most. Among Killough's more interesting characters is the
lead villain—someone a reader can admire and despise
simultaneously. The final portion of the book marks Dunavan's realization
that he can use his ghostly abilities to right some of the
wrongs he and the criminals have created. He does so with
humor and aplomb. Killough has created more than a paranormal police
procedural here. This is a novel about love and redemption,
about friendship and possibility. Any reader who enjoys a
good mystery with strong psychological elements, compelling
characters, and a fascinating storyline will relish this
one. I highly recommend it.
SUMMARY
Inspector Cole Dunavan finds himself in a parking garage
with no memory except of his murder. But even though he
quickly remembers who he is, his problems have just
begun. He's a ghost with no idea how to be a ghost. He
doesn't know who killed him; a female informant of his may
be in mortal danger because of him; and circumstances make
it appear to his wife that he betrayed their marriage.
Without being able to communicate or move objects, he must
solve his murder, save the informant, and find a way to
let his wife know the truth of his relationship to the
informant.
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