Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of Breakneck (Kitt Lundgren, Bk 2)

Breakneck (Kitt Lundgren, Bk 2)
MELNELYNN avatar reviewed on + 669 more book reviews


Homicide. Downtown. Rock River Towers. "Part-time student at Rock Valley. Studying computer science."

He had been named Matt Martin.

When Rockford PD detectives Mary Catherine (M.C.) Riggio and Kitt Lundgren arrive, the scene looks routine for a home murder. Maybe a burglary gone wrong. But what's missing? The room looks pretty tidy. The police start their investigation as they normally would. But when a second and then a third murder occur, they realize this case is far from routine. It appears that the victims have nothing in common, except maybe that their computers have been stolen. That seems like a pretty slim connection. Nevertheless, it is a connection. However, the significance of the connection eludes the detectives, and they had better figure it out soon because they can hardly keep pace with the bodies piling up.

M.C. and Kitt moan and groan when the FBI gets involved. Police personnel and federal agents don't generally share crime scenes too well. The FBI always wants the glory. But Agent Smith comes across as a nice guy. Is this too good to be true? Riggio and Lundgren can't help but have their doubts. Once the evidence starts to suggest a hit man as their murderer, they can barely believe it. A hit man after computer geeks? The killer slowly begins to take shape, revealing that, whoever this person is, he has a high degree of intelligence, immeasurable competence and no conscience. That certainly sounds like a professional killer. Riggio and Lundgren feel a dawning horror.

Even with the help of the FBI, this string of murders strains the relationship between M.C. and Kitt. Or maybe because of it. M.C. is treading a thin line with the department and Kitt. It might just be that their partnership is about to come to an end. Sometimes relationships simply run their course. Lately, it seems as though M.C. is leaving Kitt out of the loop. Why? Kitt has sacrificed a lot to keep M.C. on this case. Is M.C. stabbing her in the back now? Things don't quite add up like they should, and Kitt doesn't know what to think.

M.C. Riggio needs someone to be there for her. She decides that FBI Agent Smith may be the best person to turn to. In the midst of a happiness that M.C. has waited for her entire life comes a tragedy that threatens to undermine her belief in herself. Her family is in turmoil, and that turmoil has carried over to her professional life. She mistrusts almost everyone, and is finding it harder and harder to know who to believe in. M.C. does not want to spoil any chance to make amends with her partner, who has been her best friend, but is her judgment compromised? What Detectives Riggio and Lundgren need is to catch this killer before it puts an end to their careers and maybe even their lives.

Erica Spindler's BREAKNECK will keep you up until the early hours, eager to find out who has wreaked such havoc on the town of Rockford. This is a gripping story that unfolds with breakneck speed, heart-quickening suspense and characters you can't help but root for.