The death of a child is always tragic, but even more so if
a family member is involved. When police find the body of 4-
year-old Jeffrey Reimer in a local park, his older brother,
Christopher, comes forward and claims that his teenaged
sister killed the boy. Now Shannon Reimer is missing,
possibly on the run, but her parents seem more interested
in protecting themselves than in the welfare of their
remaining children. They immediately call their lawyer when
constables show up at the door, and he interferes at every
possible opportunity. Officers Ashlyn Hart and Tain (who
goes by only the one name) find themselves facing
roadblocks at every turn as they attempt to discern the
truth about what happened to Jeffrey Reimer. Then a ransom
demand comes in for Shannon, and the stakes become even
higher.
Meanwhile, Constable Craig Nolan is involved in a family-
oriented case, as well. Donny Lockridge, who allegedly
killed young Hope Harrington and has been in prison for
years, is up for parole and filing a lawsuit for a wrongful
conviction. One of the officers involved in the case was
Craig's father, Steve Daly. At first Craig resents having
to review old files, especially since he and his father
share a tenuous connection. But after a break-in at his
father's house and another shortly afterward at Hope's
mother's home, he starts to realize that this cold case is
becoming hot. His growing obsession, along with a female
reporter who begins trailing him, begins to affect his
relationship with Ashlyn. As the two of them struggle to
balance their personal and professional lives, it begins to
seem like a hopeless situation.
Sandra Ruttan serves up two involving mysteries,
spiced with complex personal and professional
relationships. The connection among Ashlyn, Tain, and Craig
keeps the two stories from becoming too distanced from each
other, while they are still "stand alone" cases that are
equally urgent. There's also a bit of a turn in the
officers' personal lives at the end that will leave readers
eager to know what comes next. THE FRAILTY OF FLESH is a
great second novel featuring Canadian Constables Nolan,
Hart and Tain.
The police got the call: A four-year-old boy had been found
beaten to death in the park. But almost as soon as Hart and
Tain arrived at the scene, the case took a strange turn.
They found the victim’s brother hiding in the woods nearby.
He said he saw the whole thing and claims his older sister
is the killer. And she’s missing…. When the boy’s father is
notified that his son is dead, his first response is to
hire a high-powered attorney, who seems determined to
create every legal roadblock he can for Hart and Tain. So
now the search is on for the missing girl. But the clock is
ticking, and the case is about to get even stranger.
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