
At times, I felt sorry for Alex St. James in author Julie Hyzy's second mystery featuring her. Alex leads a busy life as a researcher at a television news magazine show in Chicago, but she didn't seem to have much joy in her life. Instead, she accepts a great deal of responsibility - looking for the reasons behind a neighbor's murder, taking care of her adult sister who has Williams Syndrome for two weeks while her parents are in Europe, and still trying to stay current at her job, despite the physical beating she took from a home invader.
Alex was with Mrs. Vicks, her neighbor, just hours before she was killed. Afterward, she felt guilty because she didn't have time to listen to her talk about the problems she was having with bank accounts at the bank where she worked. Her guilt, and some jealousy toward a newsman, made her overcome her reluctance to investigate, and agree to snoop when Alex' aunt, a police detective, and Mrs. Vicks' boss all asked her to help.
Alex was a reluctant detective, aware she was an amateur. When she had an argument with Detective Lubinski, she realized, "Here he was, trying to clear a murder, stuck working with a member of the media he so despised, and at every turn, I made big mistakes and gross errors in judgment." Alex' strong character, and her own acknowledgement of her lack of experience make her more likable than many amateur detectives. She even admits, "This isn't the job I signed on for, you know. News research isn't supposed to be a life-threatening occupation." Check out Julie Hyzy's Deadly Interest, the second Alex St. James mystery. Despite her reluctance to investigate, the reader knows Alex will be back because she has a great deal of curiousity and a keen sense of justice.
Julie Hyzy's website is www.juliehyzy.com
Deadly Interest by Julie Hyzy. Five Star, ©2006. ISBN 159414494X (hardcover), 385p.