"A great addition to this series"
Essex City, New York Homicide Detectives Simon Goldtree
and Frank Garrowey investigate the brutal murder of
insurance executive Martin Stanstead when they find a
tenuous link to local crime boss Alvin Landowski. However,
the case abruptly ends when a smalltime punk confesses to
killing Stanstead. Still, Simon's ability to
empathetically determine the truth from lies tells him that
this is a clever cover up. Not taking any chances that the media darling Simon and
his old fashioned grind them out investigative partner
continue with the inquiries, Landowski uncovers damaging
information about the former. Landowski places Simon under
a media microscope as he reveals that the squeaky clean
Simon is a transsexual thinking of undergoing a sex change
operation. Though he knows his career is over, Simon
refuses to allow public and departmental pressure from
stopping him from completing his investigation into the
truth. Though the unexpected is the norm from Rachel Pollack,
the classic police procedural takes quite a surprising
twist even for this daring author in A SECRET WOMAN. Fans
of the investigative tale need to understand that one-third
to a half of the story line involves the subplot focusing
on Simon's "secret" moral dilemma. Though fascinating and
ultimately tying back to the prime case, the mystery feels
like a stepchild to this deep arc. Though not for the
purists. this extremely complex and powerful novel
containing a believable cast is a deep character study. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted March 14, 2002
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Chicago private eye Mal Foley was a lawyer once. Then he
disobeyed a court order requiring him to reveal a client's
role in a shootout that left three people dead, one of them
a cop, and his law license was revoked. Now years removed
from that fateful day, Mal is filing a petition to get his
license reinstated. It quickly becomes a problem, however,
as Mal is expected to "express remorse for his misconduct"
in order to satisfy the court, something he steadfastly
refuses to do. In fact, he would withdraw the petition -- if people would
only stop trying to frighten him into doing just that.
Anonymous notes turn into death threats, then into savage
beatings, and finally into murder. It seems no one wants
Mal's petition to lead to a hearing, where testimony might
reveal what really led to the shooting so many years ago. The person with the most to lose should the truth come out
seems to be Jimmy Coletta, a second cop shot that night.
Coletta survived, but has spent his life since in a
wheelchair. Whatever part he played in the shootout, he
seems a good man now, spending his life helping minority
kids who have disabilities. Mal doesn't want to bring Jimmy
down, but soon an innocent man's life depends on Mal
pressing ahead with his petition, no matter who gets
destroyed in the process. Set in Chicago, No Show of
Remorse is a startling novel about crime, corruption, and
their devastating consequences.
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