Prisoner of Memory

Sassy, streetwise Los Angeles Times reporter Eve Diamond returns in Prisoner of Memory, her fifth outing. The story kicks off with Eve being sent to Griffith Park to investigate the sighting of a mountain lion. She stumbles across the body of a teenage boy who has been murdered execution-style. Further investigation reveals the boy to be the son of Russian immigrant parents. His murder appears motiveless and Eve, herself the daughter of Russian immigrants, establishes a rapport with the boy's father. I won't reveal too much except to say that Eve finds herself entangled in a web involving a disgraced FBI agent and the Russian Mafia. This novel also feels more personal as the author is herself of Russian descent. As with all her previous novels, though, her love for her native city shines through. In short, a worthy addition to your bookshelf. Fans of the series will love it and if you haven't read her books before now's the time to start.

Others in these reviews will outline Hamilton's well crafted plot. But here's my take on her writing... E. L. Doctorow once said, "Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader, not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon." When I read Denise Hamilton I grab my umbrella. Need I say more?

Prisoner of Memory is a gorgeous, lively mix of murder mystery, Russian family intrigue, and Los Angeles mayhem. I particularly enjoyed the dry humor in the book, and Hamilton's lovely use of language, for example "Bees droned, an atavistic murmur from the hive-mind," interspersed with action that keeps the reader turning pages. Her character, Eve Diamond, is as multi-faceted as her name. A most enjoyable read.

On the first morning of her assignment to the downtown Metro section of the Los Angeles Times, journalist Eve Diamond stumbles across the body of a 17-year-old boy in Griffith Park. The murdered boy is the son of Russian emigrants, Sasha and Irina Lukin. As Eve's nose for news and search for a killer leads her into Russian Cold War history, she comes face to face with her own family history. Eve's investigation and life is complicated when a young man literally appears on her doorstep one night, armed with Eve's personal history (including her bank account balance) in order to convince her that he is her long-lost cousin. Eve agrees to take Mischa in, but when he disappears, the Russian mob comes calling and the mob leader warns her off the murder case. Is Mischa really Eve's cousin? And what is Eve's connection to the Lukin family? Will her involvement in a young man's death threaten her own safety? Denise Hamilton is a wonderful writer who breathes life into her plots and invites the reader to live her adventures with her. I like Eve. She's gutsy, determined and has a kick-butt, take-no-prisoners attitude. Armchair Interviews says: After you're read Prisoner of Memory, check out Hamilton's previous Eve Diamond novels. You'll be glad you did.

Los Angeles Times reporter Eve Diamond accompanies California Fish and Game Tracker Jeff Knightsbridge as he investigates the reported sightings of a mountain lion in Griffith Park. Instead of a puma, they find a corpse of a teenage boy apparently executed. LAPD find a driver's license on the victim, Dennis Lukin of Studio City. Eve notices the kid wore a watch with the old Soviet symbol on it The why seems odd as the victim was not a drug user, was doing well in school, and lived with caring educated parents. Denny's father Russian émigré scientist Sasha Lukin is grieving his loss, but though feeling a connection perhaps because her family are Russian émigrés too, Eve feels he hides something critical to the homicide. Partnered with her rival police reporter Josh Brandywine who seems more interested in Eve than the story, she keeps digging for the truth though what she learns seems odd compounded by a man insisting he is her cousin and claiming that Russian mafia wants him. Even worse s the fact that the teen murder just does not intersect with anything else Eve uncovers even as a disgraced FBI agent, his KGB siren and a Russian gangster warn Eve to back off or else. The fifth Diamond investigative tale is a terrific entry as much of the case seems personal to the heroine though it is a different Russian family than her own. The story line is action-packed with readers wondering like Eve what is the link between the Fed, the femme fatale, the scientist, the Russian Mafia, and the dead teen as the latter does not seem to fit in with the other pieces of the puzzle. Fans will enjoy learning about Eve's personal life as she makes inquiries into the PRISONER OF MEMORY. Harriet Klausner