Rating: 
Summary: tremendous police procedural
Review: When Susan Boukedes is murdered, hardly anyone takes much notice of the "Greek in the Creek" so not surprisingly it ends up as a "Cold Case". However, when renowned Washington Post investigative reporter Mary Keegan is killed, the media latch on because one of their own was violated. The two most experienced homicide detectives in the Washington DC police department, partners for twenty-five years, Franklin Kearney and Josephus Phelps are assigned the investigation.
The press sees the similarities between the two Georgetown homicides especially the severed little finger on both victims so quickly they howl serial killer. Frank and Jose make inquiries into both deaths, however, though the clues between the two cases seem alike, they never quite fit together. Though diligent and professional, Frank and Jose seem to lag behind the killer. Both know that if Mary were as prestigious as Susan was this investigation would also have been a cold case.
A MURDER OF PROMISE is a tremendous police procedural that enables the audience to not only observe modern investigative techniques, but also failed procedures. Readers see two police teams in action with Frank and Jose kicking over every rock including one involving the Deputy Secretary of State to find the culprit; the original team on the "Greek in the Creek" case just went through the motions before closing the case as unsolved. Robert Andrews provides one of the genre's best tales not because of a complicated twisting who-done-it, but because his cast of characters brings alive law enforcement investigation. Harriet Klausner
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