A Picture of Guilt

Another great mystery by Libby Fischer Hellman. It was down-to-earth, interesting and kept me turning pages.

Chicago filmmaker Ellie finds herself involved in the murder trial of a dock worker whose girlfriend has been killed in A Picture Of Guilt, a story of a video project gone awry. Her discovery of evidence which could acquit him involves her in a dangerous plot in this fast-paced investigative piece which tells of a young filmmaker's eye for clues. Solid characterization makes this a winner.

In this follow up to her award winning first novel, An Eye for Murder, Ms. Hellmann has surpassed herself. A Picture of Guilt was a fast, engaging, and exciting read. If you enjoyed the author's first novel, you will love this one.Ellie Foreman is back, along with daughter Rachel and attentive lover David Linden. This time, the honest and uncompromising Ellie gets dragged into a botched murder investigation. As the plot unfolds, and potential witnesses turn up dead, Ellie's world goes haywire. She's stalked by thugs with Mafia and Tong connections, dogged by police and FBI. And that is the least of her worries. The more information she uncovers, the more dangerous her life becomes. The full picture, once it is revealed, goes beyond dangerous and frightening.I don't want to give this plot away. The story was well-crafted and intense, exciting and enticing right up to the last page. Murder-mystery-suspense readers will love this one. It's a must read.

Review of A Picture of Guilt, by Libby Fischer HellmannI wish Ellie Foreman lived near me; she's the type of woman I'd like to have as a friend. Libby Fischer Hellmann writes terrific, layered characters with believable problems and authentically flawed ways of handling them. A reader can relate. Plus, I'd slam the phone down on her ex-husband, too.Ellie gets on a roller-coaster of ride of danger and thrills in A Picture of Guilt when, in her forthright way, she defends a man that she is convinced couldn't be guilty of the crime of which he is accused. She has a picture of Johnnie Santoro, drugged-out and staggering, in the background of one of her commercial video projects for the Chicago water district. The tape is stamped with the time of the murder he allegedly committed. Unfortunately, unexplained radio interference on the tape makes Ellie an easily discredited witness at the hands of a hardnosed prosecutor. Not long after the trial, Ellie's business takes a nosedive. No one wants to hire a loser, plus the economy has been in the tank. In addition, suspicious occurrences increase Ellie's worries about her own safety and that of her rebellious teen-aged daughter, Rachel.Ellie's father, who is a wonderful character, and her lover, David, both warn Ellie to back away from the problem of proving Santoro's innocence. Even Ellie discovers that he's an aggressive, ill-connected, spurious character. But another young woman, a frightened one who came to Ellie for help, dies. Thus Hellmann raises the level of suspense. Ellie recognizes that there is a much bigger reason behind Santoro's frame-up and she knows she is involved in a way that she can't ignore. Even if she wanted to, other people won't let her. With an informative and picturesque tour of the inner workings of Chicago's metropolitan water supply, Hellmann leads Ellie to the discovery of a horrific plot. You won't want to lay down A Picture of Guilt until the last page.

Chicago resident Ellie Foreman, accompanied by her teen daughter, has been on vacation in West Virginia for several days when she obtains a copy of the Chicago Tribune. The item that catches her eye is the murder trial of Johnnie Santoro for killing his girlfriend Mary Jo Bosanick. The paper says the circumstantial evidence is so overwhelming that the suspect has no chance of securing a not guilty finding. However, Ellie recognizes Johnnie as a drugged person who she caught on video when she was doing a shoot at Olive Park at about the time and date of the homicide.When she returns to Chicago, Ellie goes to the studio of MacArthur J. Kendall III to affirm her belief and though there is radio interference on the tape, Johnnie is clearly there. Not trusting the police, she provides her evidence to Johnnie's lawyer. However, Ellie soon finds herself and her family and friends as the target of stalkers who expect Johnnie to hang as the fall guy.White Sox and Cub fans will agree that this is an exciting thriller that begins so very innocently when a Good Samaritan tries to do the right thing. The story line, once Ellie returns to Chicago, moves rapidly forward as not so subtle threats to herself and her beloved daughter commence once the heroine surfaces the video. Though the conspiracy seems strange at first, whether the reader roots for a bull or bears market, they will appreciate this taut suspense novel due to the lead protagonist; a solid citizen turned victim turned survivor-hunter.Harriet Klausner