Flashpoint by Lynn Hightower

First published in 1995; published digitally by Open Road Media on October 27, 2015

A man burns to death in a car. His body is found handcuffed to the steering wheel. Evidence suggests that the killer is a woman. The police nickname the killer “Flash.” Sonora Blair and Sam Delarosa of the Cincinnati police lead the investigation.

Most of the novel’s focus is on Sonora. She is a reasonably well developed character, with two kids, a dead ex-husband, and a thing for the brother of the murder victim. Unfortunately for Sonora, the killer also has a thing for the murder victim’s brother, creating an interesting rivalry between killer and cop.

As Sonora learns more about the killer, so does the reader. Lynn Hightower doesn’t waste time with nonsensical profiling or lengthy character biographies that cause so many thrillers to drag. We learn enough about the killer to make her interesting and credible -- she isn’t a novice at the murder game -- while maintaining a sense of intrigue about the killer’s motivation as the investigation advances.

A brisk pace and clear prose make this an easy story to read. Some of the scenes are chilling. My only objection to the story is that a lone killer manages to cause a fair amount of mayhem under the noses of cops who, budget problems notwithstanding, would certainly make a stronger effort to protect the family members of a fellow officer. In fact, the killer wanders all over Cincinnati, going to obvious places, and the police can’t seem to be bothered to keep an eye out for her.

I didn’t buy much of the ending, which again depends upon remarkably incompetent police work so that Sonora can have some alone time with the killer. What I do like about Flashpoint is its steady pace, its decent characterization, and its surprisingly strong prose. The plot is the novel’s weakness, but the Flashpoint is enjoyable for its strengths.

RECOMMENDED