Silent Kill, by David Fingerman

I like dogs, and Silent Kill has a protagonist who shares my fondness for them; Minneapolis police officer Louise Miller will go far out of her way, and out of her comfort zone, to help a needy dog. Author David Fingerman has created a fascinating protagonist in Louise Miller; independent, resourceful, sympathetic… who just happens to be gay. She lives with a friend who’s not quite so sanguine about adopting a lost Rottweiler. And she has a brother, Andrew, who’s just learning to be recognise his sister’s lifestyle. One of my favorite scenes in Silent Kill is delightfully underplayed, where Andrew tries to work out why there’s a beautiful woman smiling at him.

The author does a nice job of avoiding excess in his novel, crafting a complex story with violent interactions, varied characters, empathy and revulsion finely balanced. It’s not a novel for the squeamish, for those who like their side-characters to survive, or for those who prefer their scenes to go swiftly by. Action is described with careful clarity and gory detail. Animal scenes are a mix of delightful and nightmarish. There’s a cat and a dog, and memories of a dog. And there’s a storyline that eventually ties warped imagination and sad reality together, making sense of why all the characters might be linked.

David Fingerman’s Silent Kill reads like a movie waiting for a director; rough round the edges, but full of gritty detail and detailed plot. It will be interesting to see where the author takes these characters in further tales.

Disclaimer: I won a copy of this book and chose to repay blogger and author (Gather's own David Fingerman) by reading and reviewing.