Burke resurrects NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher, daughter of a former cop, and has her and her partner, J.J. Rogan, investigate whether or not a long-convicted serial killer was really responsible for the murders that landed him in prison.Ellie's annoyed when her boyfriend and live-in lover, Max Donovan, an assistant district attorney, announces that she and her partner have been assigned to what's known as a "fresh look team." The two will reinvestigate the conviction of a man named Anthony Amaro, who may have killed a series of women years agoincluding the older sister of an attorney named Carrie Blank. Now, Blank is on the other side of the fence; she's working with a defense attorney to prove that Amaro isn't a killer. The catalyst for the renewed investigation is the recent slaying of a well-known psychotherapist found dead in her own office. That's problematic for police because the victim's death mirrors the killings blamed on now-imprisoned Amaro. After a muckraking lawyer convinces a judge that Amaro is innocent, he's released in record time, much to the displeasure of the Utica, N.Y., police, who put him away for the killings. Sent back to Utica to retrace the original investigation, Hatcher butts heads with local police. Meanwhile, other developments leave investigators wondering just how many killers they're dealing with and whether or not the killings will continue. When Burke first introduced Ellie in 2007, she was a raw, impetuous young cop, and her energy and imperfect approach to cases made her adventures worth following. As Ellie has progressed, she's become sullen, smug and self-righteous, as well as much less interesting. Here, she's up against a convoluted plot; the improbable concept that a judge would turn a convicted murderer loose in a matter of days based on a sliver of evidence; and an ending readers will anticipate almost from the first page.Ellie's much too good a character to waste in this lackluster, predictable potboiler. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

The case that convicted serial killer Anthony Amaro was seemingly airtight, complete with eyewitness identification and a confession. But when a recent high-profile murder shows striking similarities to Amaro's killings, his media-courting celebrity defense attorney moves for reexamination of the evidence. In response, the NYC district attorney convenes a fresh look team begrudgingly led by Ellie Hatcher and her partner, JJ Rogan. They've barely scratched the case's surface when they discover that there's a hint of fabrication in Amaro's confession, and new DNA evidence on one of the victims, Donna Blank, may point to another killer. Amaro's defense also has a secret weapon in Carrie Blank, a promising young attorney who just happens to be Donna Blank's half-sister. She's not convinced Amaro is her sister's killer, and she's determined to find out the truth about her sister's death. This isn't just another oops-maybe-he's-not-the-real-killer novel; Burke deftly merges Ellie's, Carrie's, and Amaro's stories into a multifaceted portrait of unconditional love with thriller pacing and plenty of solid investigative detail. Perfect for Laura Lippman fans.--Tran, Christine Copyright 2010 Booklist

Has suspected serial killer Anthony Amaro spent 18 years in New York's Five Points Correctional Facility for a murder he didn't commit? In Burke's gripping fifth novel of suspense featuring NYPD Det. Ellie Hatcher (after 2012's Never Tell), Ellie must suss that out in the wake of a fresh slaying in Brooklyn with the same signature, for which Amaro has an ironclad alibi. She must also consider the evidence against Amaro in five earlier murders in his hometown of Utica, N.Y., for which he was never prosecuted. That Ellie has recently moved in with the guy calling the shots, ADA Max Donovan, complicates matters, as does Carrie Blank, the associate of the lawyer handling Amaro's wrongful-conviction claim, being the half-sister of one of the Utica victims. Burke sets the equally driven Ellie and Carrie on a collision course in a propulsive thriller marred only by the plot's overreliance on coincidence. Agent: Philip Spitzer, Philip Spitzer Literary Agency. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

The shocking murder of psychotherapist Helen Brunswick complicates an old case, as NYPD detective Ellie Hatcher and attorney Carrie Blank both search for the truth from opposite sides of the law. When similarities between Helen's murder and those of past serial killer victims come to light and an anonymous letter with inside information about Helen's case that might exonerate the convicted killer arrives, the police are forced to reevaluate the previous cases. While Ellie is assigned to the "fresh look" team, Carrie goes to work for a celebrity lawyer specializing in wrongful convictions and representing Anthony Amaro, the man imprisoned for the murders. She is enticed by the idea of discovering the truth, because her half sister was one of the original victims. As the cops and lawyers navigate new evidence and old confessions, they uncover dark secrets kept hidden for decades. This is the fifth book in the Ellie Hatcher series (after Never Tell), and familiarity with previous entries is helpful but not necessary. VERDICT A satisfying police procedural with added interest from alternating perspectives of detective and attorney. For fans of Lisa Gardner and Tess Gerritsen, and readers who enjoy tough female police officer protagonists and complex plots. [See Prepub Alert, 1/6/14.]--Emily Byers, Tillamook Cty. Lib., OR (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.