Review

Justine Poole is an employee of Spengler-Nash Security, a firm that provides bodyguard services for the high-profile rich and famous in Los Angeles. She was on a job at the home of a well-known elderly couple when a car-load of five thugs broke into the property set on armed robbery. She fought off this crew of robbers and, in the process, kills two of the five and prevents the planned robbery of this couple. As such, she becomes a hero in the community and is lauded for her efforts by the local media. The crime boss who hired these robbers learns of this failure and that the security guard was a young woman and decides that she must be killed due to the embarrassment and diminished respect in the community--as well as to silence the three survivors who would be questioned by the police. This man, a Mr. Conger, hires an experienced professional killer by the name of Leo Sealy to do the job and do it quickly for impact. Sealy knows his business, but he will soon learn just how smart and resourceful Justine can be. Hero then becomes a classic cat-and-mouse game involving two very smart people. Readers will mark the tactics of Sealy to track her down and the countermoves by Justine Pool to anticipate his moves, and will enjoy Justine's creative actions to "disappear" as well as the assistance she gets from a stranger, all leading to the interesting final moments. Cat-and-mouse stories are entertaining reads but this one seemed a bit dragged out at times and comments from other Perry readers suggested that this was not his best! We noted that Perry's first book, The Butcher's Boy, won the 1983 Edgar Award for Best First Novel, and that his Vanishing Act was chosen as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century."

< Back