Stephen Greenleaf, Ellipsis (2000) 282 pp.
After the death of his police officer friend two years ago, Bay Area private investigator John Marshall Tanner is dating Assistant District Attorney Jill Cappanella. He also seeks cases to pay off his bills. Best-selling and wealthy author Chandelier Wells is receiving threatening letters stating “If you don’t stop it you will die.” Chandelier may not know what the letters want halted, but she takes the warning seriously and hires Marsh to act as her bodyguard. Initially, Marsh thinks the person terrorizing the author is a die-hard lunatic of a fan, trying to get a rise out of Chandelier. He changes his mind when a bomb explodes in her car killing two people and injuring Chandelier. The MO seems like that of a pro. Marsh suspects someone close or formerly close to the writer as hired a hit man. As he steps closer to the truth, Marsh places himself and his loved ones in life threatening danger.

H.K.