Review - DEADLY OBSESSION, Karen M Davis

The second Lexie Rogers book from ex-cop Karen M Davis, it's interesting to note that we've now got a couple of female ex-cops from similar areas writing police procedural style books, although to this reader's eye, completely different sensibilities.

Given that this is the second book, it's worth mentioning that you might be best to start at the very beginning with these two. A lot of the back story of Rogers and her rather complicated personal life is going to need that fill in, despite a bit of catch up in DEADLY OBSESSION.

Part of the reason for that recommendation is that this is a series that concentrates heavily on the personal. Rogers is a determined and conscientious cop that battles over, through and around a lot of baggage. An ex-husband, old friends, an off-again relationship with a colleague, the death of his sister that precipitated that split, the death of her own brother years ago, a flirty current colleague, a good friendship with her working partner Sommers and well... there's a lot of personal here. I was reminded (and not in a good way) of another police procedural series, out of England, where the personal has packed the procedural elements into a suitcase and lost them in baggage control. It's hard to park the sneaking concern that we might be heading for that self-same lost baggage office with this series.

Which would be a pity, as the procedural elements here are pretty good, although to be fair the villain of the piece stood out like the proverial dog's appendage - and the why got wound up in even more personal baggage. Rogers and Sommers are, though, a good pairing of cops, dedicated and talented. The team that they work with is good, and there are some characters there that could stand a little more time in the limelight.

Perhaps one more for fans of romantic suspense than this reader, I'm not giving up on Lexie Rogers. I just hope for her sake that she chooses to pack away the overwhelming personal angst and get on with the job.