‘Crimes of Memory’ by L J Sellers

Published by Thomas & Mercer, 2013.
ISBN: 978-1-4778-0947-1

Detective Jackson isn’t having a good week.  His teenage daughter has taken to drink, and he’s in charge of a homicide case – the death of an ex-con involved in a bank robbery.  The other perp was shot by the cops, and $125,000 went missing ...  He’s also got to work with FBI agent Carla Rivers over a firebomb in a local factory, thought to be planted by local activists Love the Earth, who’re being investigated by an undercover agent. 

This police procedural gave a real sense of all the people involved in an investigation, with the interesting addition of an FBI involvement.  The book begins with a cast list, but the author introduced each character well, so that I didn’t need to refer to it.  Jackson was an interesting and sympathetic cop (though what is it about policemen that they only ever seem to have daughters?) and I enjoyed learning about Rivers.  There was a good feel of a different area of America – Eugene, Oreg. The book was fast moving, cutting from police to FBI, and the plot was beautifully pulled together at the end of the book, with a surprise perp. 

This is the eighth book in the Detective Jackson series, and for me, coming new to it, it was slightly over-loaded with back story and series characters.  I’d definitely recommend the series, but if you’re new to L J Seller too, and enjoy American police procedurals, then I’d start at the beginning with The Sex Club.

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Reviewer: Marsali Taylor

L J Sellers writes the bestselling Detective Jackson mystery/thriller series, a Readers Favorite award winner, as well as provocative standalone thrillers. Her novels have been highly praised by Mystery Scene, Crimespree, and RT Reviews, and her Jackson books are Kindle bestsellers as well as top-ranked novels. L.J., who resides in Eugene, Oregon where her novels are set, is also an award-winning journalist who earned the Grand Neal. When not plotting murders, she enjoys standup comedy, cycling, social networking, and attending mystery conferences. She’s also been known to jump out of airplanes.

Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland's scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland's distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.  Marsali also does a regular monthly column for the Mystery People e-zine.