The Last Witness

Rating:
Summary: A Nail-Biter and a Real Page Turner!
Review: In this third novel in the Marshall "Mars" Bahr series, author K.J. Erickson has delivered a terrific plot, engaging characters, and a nail-biter finish that comes out of left field. Mars is in his final days as the lead detective assigned to a special unit created by the previous police chief. Because of a regime change in the department, Mars and his intelligent assistant Nettie are happy to be moving to the Cold Case Unit at the State's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. But one last murder intervenes.

The wife of flashy basketball star, Tayron "T-Jack" Jackman has been viciously murdered in her home. Mars intuitively knows that Jackman must be responsible for Terri DuCain Jackman's death. He very quickly learns that T-Jack was obsessively controlling and brutal toward his wife, beating her regularly. Unfortunately, at the time of the murder, the cocky ball player was with Terri's wealthy parents wrapping up a one hundred million dollar deal in which he would divorce Terri and walk away. Not only does he get the hundred mil, but upon his wife's death, he also gets the five-year-old daughter whom he doesn't ever plan to let Terri's stricken parents see.

Everyone involved in the investigation believes Jackman arranged to kill his wife, but proving it is another matter. It doesn't help that the new chief of police is a nincompoop or that Mars is soon struggling with departmental politics of the worse kind. Dead bodies start surfacing, and simultaneously, issues with Mars' ex-wife and son, Chris, crop up and cause a very harried Mars to sweat the impending deadline to close the case.

With Erickson's dynamite cast of characters and an engrossing plot that won't quit, this book is a real page-turner. Erickson has herself a wonderful new franchise that could go on a long time in much the same way that John Sandford's Lucas Davenport series has. (...)