‘Dead Connection’ by Alafair Burke
Published by Orion June 2007.
ISBN 978-0-75287-406-7

Alafair Burke, like Sue Grafton, is the daughter of a popular crime writer - in this case James Lee Burke.  Dead Connection is her fourth crime novel.  Her three previous ones have Samantha Caid as the detective. This novel introduces the reader to a new heroine, Detective Ellie Hatcher, a relative newcomer to the NYPD.  Because she has been working with the Department for only thirteen months she is surprised by a request from one Flann Mcllroy to work on a special assignment.  This is a double murder: two women on the streets of Manhattan, on the same date but exactly one year apart.  In addition, both had been murdered after a date with an online dating website called First Date which prides itself on its secrecy and discretion.  Ellie feels that she has been chosen to help for a few obvious reasons: she is thirty years old, has blonde hair and has been runner up in a beauty contest, and she is the daughter of a homicide detective who had been murdered on the job and his murderer never caught.  This had given her considerable press coverage when she had joined the force.

The two women who have been murdered are Caroline Hunter, who was working on a PhD in Community Psychology at New York University, and Amy Davies, a museum worker.  Both were unmarried and living alone.  From time to time the reader is given an insight into the mind of the murderer with some hints as to what motivates him. Later in the investigation it is discovered that there is a connection with another unsolved murder of a woman that took place some time before the current deaths, so the hunt is on for a serial killer.

Like most crime novels with a serial killer theme, this is a compulsive read, as there is always the awareness that the detectives are working against time to prevent the next murder and that, sooner or later the detective, especially if she is female, will herself face a life-threatening situation,  as well perhaps as anyone else connected with her.

Dead Connection is a complicated story.  The online agency features prominently in the book and a knowledge of the intricacies of a computer would be a help in understanding the plot but it is certainly not essential.  Other strands in the book are numerous and well-researched; these include the New York City background, the possibilities of credit-card fraud, the yachting world, journalism and the dating agencies.  Altogether this makes for a challenging and enjoyable read.
--------------
Rosemary Brown
The earlier books by Alafair Burke are: Judgment Calls, Missing Justice, and Close Case.