Little Girl Blue: A Novel of Crime

NYPD Homicide Detective, Lieutenant Julia Brennan, thought she was hardened and unshakable. She had seen it all, the very worst elements of society, and the carnage they so often left behind. But this crime scene was different, and it had a profound effect on her. A little girl, no more than eight or nine, naked, and frozen, lying in Central Park. Her tiny blue body was curled in a fetal position, and her bare feet cut and scraped from running. Who was this "Little Girl Blue", where had she come from, and why had no one reported seeing a naked child fleeing down the streets of the upper east side? Against all her better judgement and police training, this case becomes personal, and Lieutenant Brennan finds herself investigating a part of New York City's underground that she didn't know even existed...the lucrative world of pedophiles, child pornography, and slavery. As the case progresses, she finds herself drawn into this world, and willing to risk everything to get to the truth, and bring Little Girl Blue's killers to justice..... David Cray is back with a dark police procedural that's tense, compelling, and full of riveting, suspenseful, and gritty scenes. His writing is engaging, crisp, and intelligent with a great ear for dialogue, and his well drawn characters are original and believable. But it's Mr Cray's atmospheric portrait of New York and its underbelly that makes this novel stand out, and his indepth research and attention to detail adds real credibility to the plot, and brings the story and characters to life. Little Girl Blue is a disturbing and realistic, fast paced, page turner that grabs you from page one, and doesn't let go. David Cray never disappoints. This is a novel that should definitely be at the very top of every mystery/thriller fan's "must read" list.

David Cray enters uncharted territory and handles it skillfully. The world of child porn is uglier and more prevelant than most of us like to admit, and Cray takes us into that world and challenges the reader not to look away at this hideous crime. In any other writer's hands this plot more than likely would have been handled with sensationalism, as a plot tool, but not here. Cray offers up a twisted world and inserts a female hero who tries to make sense of it all. There are characters living in this novel that more defined than any of the best-selling thrillers, and New York City (Pre 9/11) exists an important charcter as well. That in itself should draw attention to this novel. For whatever reason, David Cray is not a household name, but he should be. This novel is a must read and I can't wait for his effort.

Lt. Julia Brennan is a hardened NYPD homicide detective who's seen it all when she catches the case of a small, naked girl found dead in Central Park. The sight of the tiny corpse, blue with cold, affects Julia like no other has, and she vows to find the killer, no matter what.Working with Peter Foley, an undercover cop with the Sex Crimes Unit, Julia is appalled at the breadth and depth of perversity she discovers is flourishing in her city. Peter not only poses as a pedophile, but maintains a Web site designed to attract these bottom-feeders. Julia finds herself attracted to Peter, but wonders how wallowing in the dark sewers of depravity as he does could fail to affect him in ways she doesn't want to contemplate. As the investigation leads to foreign adoption agencies selling children into slavery, many of the potential suspects turn up dead. And Peter knew who and where each of them was. Can Julia trust him?This is a chilling novel dealing intelligently with an ugly subject, tautly written with crisp dialogue and dazzling continuity flowing along at full-tilt boogie speed, absolutely compelling reading. I haven't figured out who David Cray is a pseudonym for, though I have a couple of guesses, but what a master of the crime novel.

The small, nude body of a young girl is found one wintry night in New York City's Central Park. Her feet are cut and bloody and she is curled in a fetal position. It looks as if she ran as far as she could before collapsing in exhaustion, finally giving in to the bitter cold. Any cop would be troubled by Little Girl Blue, but Lieutenant Julia Brennan is moved as a mother, as well as an enforcer of the law. She has a young daughter of her own and cannot escape from the haunting image that pierces her mind.The subtitle of "Little Girl Blue" is "a novel of crime," a very apt description. At the heart of this suspenseful, at times painful book are the most despicable of crimes, those committed against children. Lieutenant Brennan uncovers a child pornography and prostitution ring that lies hidden in the upper reaches of Manhattan society, sheltered for years by the wealth of those who participate in it. As soon as Brennan gets the scent of these perverted criminals, though, their days are at an end.Although it features troubling subject matter, "Little Girl Blue" is written with such empathy and tactful restraint that it never strays into offense, something authors who have tackled similar stories have failed to do. It is appropriately tense, especially during the last twenty pages, but the mystery here tacks a backseat to the characters. The author explores his characters as people who think and feel in realistic ways, not as the cookie cutter puppets lesser writers use to populate their stories.

The corpse of the preadolescent girl in wintry Central Park leaves its mark on all the law enforcement officials who saw the blue colored dead body. The Assistant ME and the Manhattan North Borough Commander simply want the culprit dead for such a vile act. Even NYPD Lieutenant Julia Brennan, normally a stoic ambitious cop, strongly reacts, but she knows she must contain her feelings to thoroughly lead the investigation. Julia and her team begin to make inquiries that quickly lead to pornography mostly focused on child prostitution and a link with international adoption. Obtaining the help of sex crimes expert Peter Foley, Julia personalizes this case in every possible way in order to see that the culprit who did this heinous crime to LITTLE GIRL BLUE faces justice. LITTLE GIRL BLUE is a strong police procedural that allows the audience to follow Julia and her cohorts as they dig deep into the underbelly of Manhattan to try to solve the crime. The exciting, well-written story line is a delight for sub-genre fans because the investigation is intelligently designed while keeping the readers' attention. The psychological impact on Julia, who has a teen daughter, adds depth though the author never allows his character's emotions to overwhelm her work. This strong tale will send readers investigating bookstores for previous works by Mr. Cray (see BAD LAWYER).Harriet Klausner