Strap yourself in for a character-driven, exhilarating ride when you read Double Jeopardy by Stef Harris.
Frank Winter is a retired country sheriff and Boston detective, who is now working as a janitor, and dividing his time between work, visiting his ex-wife Mary who has dementia, and spending time with his beloved dog Dolly.
He has been separated from his ex-wife Mary for decades, and they share the tragedy of their only daughter, Evie, being murdered as a young woman. For Frank, Evie is forever immortalised at a much younger age - just eleven years old - the last time he saw her before his marriage went pear-shaped.
But his retirement changes dramatically when Evie's killer is released on parole. The cop of old is back and he’s a man trying to decide if he will make good on his promise about taking matters into his own hands if his daughter’s killer was ever released from prison. The law isn't going to provide any justice. The killer was acquitted of the charge of Evie’s murder – he has been doing time for another murder – and under US law, it’s double jeopardy that he can’t be tried for the same crime again. So the question is, will Frank track down the man who murdered his daughter and kill him?
Double Jeopardy is a page-turning read with a big-hearted, complex main character, a father wanting to avenge his daughter’s death. There is loads of action and plenty of twists and turns, but it is Frank that makes this such a readable and engaging book. I do hope Stef Harris will be writing another novel with Frank centre-stage soon. As the blurb on the cover reads, ‘Move over, Jack Reacher, Here Comes Frank Winter,’ and I definitely want more books featuring the complicated but admirable Frank Winter.
Reviewer: Karen McMillan
Quentin Wilson Publishing