Speak No Evil

For a book to work for me, I have to be able to connect with either the characters or the plot. Ideally, both will click, but I need at least one or the other. Plowing through Speak No Evil, it was obvious that neither of those connections was there for me. A less than suspenseful thriller with less than appealing characters just does not make for a good read, or even a tolerable one.

San Diego detective Carina Kincaid finds herself working a truly gruesome case. A young woman was tortured, raped, and suffocated in a garbage bag. To up the ick factor even more, we learn that this victim's mouth was glued shut and a demeaning word scrawled on her body. The details of this case are only the beginning of the cringe-worthy revelations that will be inflicted as the story unfolds.

Carina's investigation focuses on Steve Thomas, the victim's much older boyfriend. In response, the suspect's brother - and Montana sheriff - Nick Thomas, comes down to aid his brother and to do some investigating of his own. Though their first meeting does not go smoothly, Nick earns Carina's respect and she finds herself drawn to him as they work together trying to identify the killer before he can strike again. And, yes, you just read that "working together" part of the sentence right. Even though Nick is an out-of-town sheriff and the prime suspect is his brother, Carina still gives him access.

There are a number of things wrong with this book, but chief among them is the lack of suspense. Brennan gives readers plenty of truly disgusting details, but it just doesn't feel suspenseful. Views inside the killer's head fall flat and, even when he is unveiled, it is hard to muster up much of a reaction. Frankly, I kept hoping Carina and Nick would hurry up and catch the killer so I didn't have to read about him anymore. The author does not make us really care who he is or what drives his twisted mind and without that piece, a serial killer mystery just does not keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Carina and Nick may not be dreadful, but they are flat. Although Nick is a tortured hero, the reader gets few real glimpses of this. The author tellsreaders Nick is tortured, but the reader does not really see and feel it. Carina likewise seems somewhat distanced from the reader. When reading about their romance, it is hard to escape the politely bored feeling one gets when a friend natters on and on about the personal lives of acquaintances I do not really know.

This book is not quite bad enough to earn a failing grade. Die-hard serial killer fans may find something appealing here, but most readers would be better advised to hunt for romantic suspense elsewhere. There are a number of good books out there, and even an average one would be better than this.

-- Lynn Spencer

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