To Sketch A Thief - Sharon Paper

To Sketch A Thief     

A Portrait Of Crime Mystery
Sharon Pape
Berkley Prime Crime
 
Mystery/Paranormal
 
Rory McCain used to work as a police sketch artist.  Then her uncle died and she inherited his house and his ghost.  Yes, his ghost.  The ghost is one Zeke Drummond, who worked as a federal marshal in the late 1870s, right up until the moment he was killed in the parlor of the house Rory now occupies.  Her uncle, a private investigator, promised to try and find out who killed Zeke.  Now Rory is trying to fulfill that promise.  She’s also started her own PI firm.

During a much-needed therapeutic session of weed-pulling, a dog introduces himself to Rory by sticking his cold, wet nose onto the back of her neck.  She checks his collar (Hobo) and decides to drive the dog back home, since it isn’t far.  Arriving at the dog’s home, Rory finds the front door open and the dog’s owner dead on the kitchen floor.  Getting involved in another murder was the last thing on her day’s to-do list, but Rory can’t seem to quell her curiosity.  Especially when she’s got Hobo around as a reminder.
 
This is the second installment in a series, following SKETCH ME IF YOU CAN.  If you missed it, the basics are covered nicely here.  The most interesting sections of the book, by far, concern Zeke.  He was a federal marshal on the trail of a killer.  His journey began in the Arizona Territories and ended on the east coast in what is now Rory’s home.  Reading the sections devoted to Zeke make me wish the entire book was about him.  Clearly, his story will be continued in future volumes.

The case that embroils Rory is involving, beginning with finding a body and expanding into the world of dogs and dog lovers and even some shady dog dealers.  There’s a fairly amusing story arc concerning Zeke and Hobo.  Apparently, Zeke is not a fan of dogs, and Hobo (like all dogs) instinctively knows this.  If you enjoy stories with a paranormal element, this is the mystery for you.  Likewise, those who enjoy animals/dogs will find a lot to like here.
 
Rating: 7
June 2011

ISBN# 978-0-425-24192-9 (paperback)