"Quintessential "every woman" mystery"

Marti Macallister and her partner Matthew "Vik" Sessenovik are homicide detectives in the greater Chicago area. Due to a rare lull in active investigations, Marti and Vik decide to check into a recently found defrosting arm and three other arms in the freezer of the morgue. During a forensic examination, they determine the age and sex and that at least two people were somehow involved in the seventies art world. The remaining arms are more recent which adds to the puzzle that the cops are making slow progress on solving.

While Marti is involved with her family and job, her friend Sharon, whose daughter Lisa is living with Marti, becomes involved with De Vonte Luthell. He gives her a whirlwind courtship and insists they marry. After the ceremony they go to De Vonte's special place in the Bahamas where he has a special surprise for Sharon and Lisa. Marti, whose case is breaking wide open, has a bad feeling about De Vonte and rushes down to Freeport in the hope that she can prevent Lisa and Sharon from getting hurt.

Anyone who wants to witness a quintessential "every woman" novel just has to read a Marti Macallister mystery. She balances her family and job with expert aplomb (with a little help from momma) and she is there when her friends need her. The mystery itself is fascinating because readers get to see a whole case made out of one semi frozen arm. Although readers will despise some of Sharon's choices they will understand why she made them and feel empathy towards her. It would be a shame for mystery fans to pass up such an excellent choice as Whispers.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted October 8, 2001