19 Souls: A Sin City Investigation

At the start of Allen’s unimpressive first novel and series launch, a woman phones Las Vegas, Nev., PI Jim Bean, identifies herself as Cynthia Hodge, and asks for his help in finding her brother, former rodeo rider Dan Kent, who she claims has been missing for two years. The caller is actually Sophie Evers, a serial killer who has murdered Cynthia and assumed her identity. Sophie is obsessed with Dan, a childhood friend, and is determined to make him her own. The unwitting Jim takes the job and tracks down Dan in Utah. After realizing Sophie tricked him, Jim joins a police detective, an FBI agent, and a bounty hunter in an effort to locate her. Sophie is a hodgepodge of seemingly contradictory attributes: she can plan carefully but kills impulsively; she holds a steady job but has angry conversations with herself. Readers will hope Allen provides Jim with a more convincing villain in his next outing. [em](Feb.) [/em]