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Book Review of Milk and Honey (Decker/Lazarus, Bk 3)

Milk and Honey (Decker/Lazarus, Bk 3)
reviewed on + 242 more book reviews


This is a very good mystery that meanders rather than thrills. But the books twists and turns as well as its surprising ending more than make up for what it lacks in suspense. The suspense is the search for the killer of 4 people who own a bee farm. California's LAPD detective Peter Decker is in charge of that investigation and it is his legwork and perception that manages to solve this crime. It starts in the middle of the night as Decker is driving around. He finds a little girl, Katie, about 2 years old wandering around. Her coat is covered with blood but it isn't her blood. A cheerful, playful child, Decker is charmed by Katie and becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her. Little does he know that he ends up finding much more than Katie's innocence would ever imagine. In the meantime, Decker is helping a Vietnam Vet friend, Abel, fight a rape and assault charge; a friend who he's not sure whether or not he's guilty or innocent. At the same time, Decker's fiance, Rina, is in New York on family business. She's the light of his life and we're told how beautiful she is maybe 20 times throughout the book. When Rina returns to Decker in California, he has even more troubles. Abel takes a liking to Rina and one of Rina's family members has attempted to molest her. No wonder Decker keeps getting headaches. Other problems follow as Decker tries to solve them without losing his infamous temper which he manages about half the time. If you're looking for a mystery/detective novel where the suspense lies within the characters rather than through just action, this may be the book for you.