Defensive Wounds - (Theresa MacLean Novels) by Lisa Black (Paperback)

About the Book

Black delivers her most sensational crime fiction masterwork to dateNa stunning tale of forensic expert Theresa MacLean's investigation into the brutal murder of a criminal defense attorney at a Cleveland convention that reveals the frightening presence of a serial killer prowling the city.

Book Synopsis

"There are many forensic experts. There are many writers. Rarely, however, do the two meld as seamlessly and synergistically as Lisa Black."
--Sacramento Book Review

"She is, quite simply, one of the best storytellers around."
--Tess Gerritsen

A former forensic scientist with the Cleveland coroner's office, Lisa Black knows the world she writes about, as she has proven in the past with her gripping thrillers featuring Theresa MacLean (Takeover, Evidence of Murder, Trail of Blood). With Defensive Wounds, Black delivers possibly her most sensational crime fiction masterwork to date--a stunning tale of forensic expert MacLean's investigation into the brutal murder of a criminal defense attorney at a Cleveland convention that reveals the frightening presence of a serial killer prowling the city. The forensic police thriller remains one of the most popular sub-genres in contemporary mystery fiction, and Defensive Wounds once again proves that Lisa Black is one of the "big guns," in the top tier alongside Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, Jefferson Bass, and Michael Connelly.

From the Back Cover

Few tears are shed over the slain corpse of Marie Corrigan, found in the presidential suite at the Ritz-Carlton during a legal convention. A Cleveland defense attorney with a history of falsifying evidence, Corrigan was resoundingly hated by all--colleagues, adversaries . . . even her lovers.

Investigator Theresa MacLean is summoned to the crime scene by her daughter, Rachael, who is working the front desk, and immediately knows she is walking into a forensic nightmare--with trace evidence left behind by countless former hotel guests. But the discovery of two more bodies in rapid succession indicates that this nightmare is far worse than she initially imagined, that Corrigan's death was not a crime of passion, but the opening move of a serial killer with a vendetta . . . and that Theresa and her daughter are both frighteningly close to death.

Review Quotes

"[Black] generates suspense with alternating accounts of investigations present and past. A cast of complex, captivating characters is led by likable Theresa." - Booklist
"Black has a strong heroine in MacLean. There's a deash of romance thrown in, but the real action is in the field.... The two [stories] work well together as police procedures past and present match up to reveal the truth behind the horrors haunting Cleveland." - Kirkus Reviews
"Black constructs a compelling parallel story of the 1930s investigation with the modern-day pursuit.... It's a wild ride to the end of the line. Black's carefully drawn descriptions of 1930s Cleveland and its rail yards create an intense feeling of suspense.... This third outing from Theresa will appeal to readers of Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli and Isles series." - Library Journal
"Fans of the forensic mysteries "CSI" TV series and Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta novels will enjoy the emphasis on evidence. An amazing read that rivals...the best of the genre." - Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers
"Black uses [the] background as a springboard for a tightly wound story that alternates between Cleveland of the 1930s and today.... Black, a former forensic scientist, keeps the level of suspense high.... The complicated, insightful Theresa continues to show her mettle as an investigator...and the affectionate banter between her and her cousin, Frank, adds real human warmth to Black's chilling Trail of Blood." - Mystery Scene
"The parallels between old-school and modern crime detection techniques are fascinating.... Black supplies both James and Theresa with enough credible suspects to keep the reader guessing. A nighttime surveillance scene in a train yard is breathlessly creepy, and the entire story is immersed in Cleveland history and culture." - Akron Beacon Journal
"The fast-paced action hurtles to a breathless conclusion." - Publishers Weekly
"The book's strength lies in its vivid recapitulation of the days of the Depression as seen through the eyes of James Miller, a young police officer who becomes a victim.... Black skillfully links and compares the past and the present in terms of increasingly desperate police investigators and increasingly frightened people who don't know who will be next on a killer's apparently random list." - Washington Times