Face of a Killer

Robin Burcell
Poisoned Pen Press (2008)
ISBN 9781590583746
Reviewed by Danielle Feliciano for Reader Views (5/08)

 

In “Face of a Killer” Robin Burcell gives us Sydney Fitzpatrick, a strong female character who has allowed her father’s murder to control the way she lives her life.  Sydney was thirteen when her father was killed; she was asleep in the next room when it happened.  This prompts her to turn to a life in the boundaries of the FBI, where rules are concrete and she feels in control.  As a forensic artist, she is called in on an unrelated case, yet the drawing she comes up with for the suspect prompts memories of her father’s murder to come to the surface.  It also just so happens to be the 20th anniversary of the murder as well as nearing the execution of the man convicted for it.

Sydney goes to see the convicted murderer and leaves feeling less than 100% certain of his guilt. In the midst of this she receives a photo and letter in the mail that hint at blackmail on her father’s part.  As she starts digging into the past, the people in her life who have tried so hard to bury what happened 20 years ago begin trying to bury Sydney before she uncovers the truth.

I really liked Sydney’s character.  She was damaged in her own way by what happened to her father, but she still lived her life the best she could.  While her father’s murder defined her in a way, she found her own path to take and had a strength about her that was admirable. She never felt like a cliché or like a victim.  The character development in the whole book was great.  There were a lot of characters and a lot going on at once, but I never once felt lost or confused.  The CIA/government aspect plot was smoothly done. It did not at all feel as though I was reading some book filled with conspiracy theories. Rather, it was simply about government related men who made poor choices and how those choices changed their lives.

“Face of a Killer” had just the right amount of suspense to keep me turning pages without going overboard and trying too hard.  I look forward to more from Ms. Burcell.

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