Olson, Karen E.: Shot Girl

Obsidian © 2008, 320 pages

Crime hits close to home in Shot Girl, the fourth installment in Karen E. Olson's series featuring New Haven Herald crime reporter Annie Seymour. This time the dead guy is Annie's ex, and she looks good for the crime: means, motive, and opportunity land her in an interrogation room downtown and off her usual beat, which she's forced to surrender to her personal nemesis, cub reporter Dick Whitfield, Meanwhile, Annie's become a person of interest to more than the local constabulary: she's attracted the attention of both an enigmatic male stripper ("Jack Hammer") and a too-good-to-be-true community organizer cum preacher. Plus she's got her very own stalker.

As with the previous Annie Seymour novels (Sacred Cows, Secondhand Smoke, and Dead of the Day), Shot Girl is firmly tied to its New Haven setting. This time Annie finds herself visiting her alma mater, Southern Connecticut State University (a couple blocks from my old apartment!), and West Rock Park, including one of its more prominent landmarks, Judges Cave (where the "Regicides" Edward Whalley and William Goffe hid from Charles II's minions in 1661). She also eats her way around the city, frequenting more restaurants in the course of a book than I have in a lifetime of living in the area.

Annie's closeness to the crime and her characteristically aggressive investigation doesn't sit well, as usual, with her old beau, Tom, who's heading up the police response. But her relationship with Vinnie isn't hurt by events. Indeed, though still foul-mouthed and cynical--and perhaps we see the root of that cynicism in this outing--Annie's softening a bit with each book, a welcome development.

Shot Girl is another nicely-plotted, solid installment in the series.