The victim was low life Royce Stewart who got away with the rape and murder of Kamareia, the daughter of a Hennepin County, Minnesota sheriff officer, on a technicality. Seven months later Royce was found murdered. The case was not solved although Detective Sarah Pribek knows who the killer is. Most suspect either Sarah did it for her former partner, Kamareia’s mother or Sarah’s former spouse ex Minneapolis detective Shiloh did it.

Sarah knows if she admits the truth she can be held for obstruction of justice, but though there is heightened interest thanks to the media and a glory hound DA, Sarah heeds the plea of teenage Marlinchen Hennessy, daughter of a famous novelist, whose twin brother Aidan has been missing for five years, but ignored by police. Though not her case, the background information feels close to home so Sarah does some preliminary inquiries and quickly learns that Marlinchen has hidden much of what she knows about her sibling’s disappearance. She soon finds herself into the middle of a dangerous dysfunctional family powder keg that she could end up being be the igniting factor.

SYMPATHY BETWEEN HUMANS is a strong police procedural that brings home the message that justice is neither simple nor blind. The story line works on two levels with questions about the Stewart murder lingering in the background while supporting the prime efforts of Sarah to learn what happened to Aidan. Sarah is a terrific heroine planning not to implicate anyone in Royce’s death though her peers figure she provided the blue revenge. Jodi Compton writes a strong thriller that will send readers seeking Sarah’s previous appearance (see 37th HOUR).

Harriet Klausner