The Bitter Season

Good Cop Bad Cop

In our country, major crimes often go unpunished due to inadequate investigation. So it is strange to read about the US police force spending time and resources on cold cases, that is, cases that remained unsolved. The idea being that time and a fresh perspective might just help catch the perpetrator.

In Tami Hoag’s new bestseller, The Bitter Season, the reopening of a file on the murder of, Ted Duffy, a cop who worked with the sex crimes division of the Minneapolis police force, causes a tumult in the life of detective Nikki Liska. She had opted to leave Sam Kovac, her partner of many years, so that she could get off active cases and spend more time with her growing sons, since cold cases did not require that much footwork. She soon realizes that there is no rest for a hard-working cop.

While Nikki finds a lot that was left to slide in the earlier investigation,  Sam is thrown into a shockingly brutal case—the double murder of an Asian studies professor, Lucien Chamberlain and his wife Sondra. Even hardened cops were left reeling at the sheer savagery of the crime. There seems to be no motive for the killings, even though a few people could have wanted him dead, including his own children Charles and Diana, and his professional rival Ken Sato.  From all accounts Chamberlain, was an unpopular man and a terrible father. His son suffers from OCD, his bipolar daughter and assistant has accused him of harassment. It is a mess and somehow the two cases are connected, and the two investigation end up running parallel.

Duffy’s disgruntled wife, ended up marrying his rich twin, making them suspects. Years later, they are naturally reluctant to cooperate with Nikki, but they have not bargained for her persistence and deductive prowess.  When she starts questioning Duffy’s daughter, Jennifer, now a reclusive librarian, she attempts suicide. Nilkki’s only other lead is the Duffys’ adopted daughter Evi, who has left her sordid past so far behind that she does not want painful old memories to impinge on her perfect present with a loving husband and daughter.

Hoag has written a tense and pacy psychological thriller, with the suspense maintained to the very end—it is hard to guess who among the many suspects is the killer and why. Some amount of humour is provided by one of the newbie cops who is so handsome, that his looks lead to his being mercilessly ribbed by his colleagues.

The Bitter Season

by Tami Hoag

Publisher: Dutton

Pages: 368