It is funny how most fictionally depicted small towns center around the high school football team, and this one is no different. Owen Fowler was a much loved football coach, and his odd "accident" is looking a great deal like murder. Jody Curtis was the last to see him and is a likely suspect. We quickly learn that this mentor may have been more than just a mentor in a town where secrets eventually leak out. Anna is facing her own life crisis after a break up with her fiancé (who readers of her former books have come to love) but jumps on the next plane to help Jody.
As in all of Leotta's books, the characters are people you feel at home with, and the descriptions are complete without being overly wordy. I enjoyed getting to know a bit about Anna's past after three previous books that concentrated on her life in D.C. and her career as a sex crimes prosecutor. Small town people tend to have distinct personalities that this author captures well. Cooper Bolden, a childhood friend of Anna's returned from the Iraq War with problems of his own but helps Anna in her quest to prove her sister's innocence. Jody's friend Kathy also adds an interesting twist to a story that is as relevant as it is interesting.
Leotta's use of first person and third person to differentiate her two main characters works surprisingly well, and the glimpses into the past add to the story's depth. More than just a legal thriller, A Good Killing is a novel that will take you into the lives people who will pique your interest and invite you back for more.
- Beverly
Publisher - Touchstone
Date of Publication - May 12, 2015