This Philadelphia police procedural serves as a backdrop for a romance between two broken but highly attractive detectives.
Detective Alexandra “Lexi” Danvers “was hollow inside...in a way no amount of sex or whiskey seemed able to fill.” That doesn’t stop the feline-eyed beauty from trying. Because of self-destructive behavior that includes getting served too many drinks and hooking up regularly at “cop bars,” her reputation on the force is that she’s unfit for duty in spite of her good work record. Her train-wreck conduct began three years ago when her husband, Robert, a police officer, chose suicide after a failed investigation into the kidnap and murder of 8-year-old Donald Palmer. Arthur Book’s confession to that crime was thrown out due to allegations of police coercion. Book walked free and successfully sued the city. Now, Xavier Knight, Lexi’s sexy new partner (“He’s got a great ass”), has a hidden agenda. Police Capt. Jack Barrett brought Knight from the Baltimore police force to Philadelphia to evaluate Lexi’s fitness. Knight also has a backstory that led to a damaged life. As soon as the two detectives are partnered, another 8-year-old boy is kidnapped and murdered, and Book starts tormenting Lexi. In addition to looking for the killer, shielding Lexi from Book, and keeping his mission to evaluate his partner a secret, Knight finds himself falling in love with her, as she does with him. As good as Flade’s storytelling is, the murders and suicides (yes, plural) are upsetting to read about, but they are not presented with over-the-top gore. And the flirtations that lead to something deeper balance the darkness of the crimes. In addition, the police investigation feels authentic. For example, Knight notes that the kidnapper/killer hunts in neighborhood parks but not in the crowded parts of the city because the snatch may be fast and anonymous there, “but the escape is near impossible.” There’s often welcome humor in the patter between the two detectives, as when Knight says: “For crying out loud, Danvers, don’t talk with your mouth full. And use a fork.”
Focus on what’s real. This admonition, which ends the first chapter in Fall to Pieces, could serve as a template for the entire story as homicide detective Lexi Danvers struggles with her personal life, her police department associates, and her latest case.
Lexi is passionate about one thing: bringing dangerous child kill Arthur Book to justice. Fellow Detective Xavier Knight, her new undercover partner, should be on the same page.
He is...but his job is really to secretly observe Lexi and report back to his superiors on her fitness for duty. His two conflicting assignments run the risk of allowing this killer to continue his rampage, while a department that should be committed to stopping him is divided over Lexi's competence.
The story opens with Lexi awakening to discover she's made it home from the bar with a one-night stand beside her in bed. Time to hit the eject button! With a service pistol's appearance, the unwanted Romeo runs, and readers are treated to an initial impression of why Lexi's fellow cops aren't standing behind her in support.
Through this description, readers are treated not to a profession vision of Lexi, but a personal life in disarray. It also indicates the first strength of Fall to Pieces: it's firmly rooted in personal lives, motivations, and personalities that don't always walk the straight moral line.
This lends the story an intimacy from the start as Lexi appears flawed even as she struggles to remain a committed professional who may be the only person to stop this killer.
The point of view fluctuates between Lexi and fellow detective Xavier. While chapter headings with each name might have made the transitions between the two even smoother, it's fairly evident which character receives the main focus as the chapters unfold.
Lexi might not only be a substandard detective riding on the coattails of a more accepted, admired late husband who is deemed "real police" by his department, but she's developed a big chip on her shoulder as she receives not the admiration, but the implicit condemnation of her peers.
While, on paper, she's more than a "good cop," it seems her promotions have only grudgingly been given. Can her department force her out? With Xavier's help, maybe. Viewed as a "lawsuit waiting to happen," Lexi's choices are scrutinized rather than supported.
Becky Flade provides a powerful story of one determined woman who faces the biggest case of her life with only limited backup. The perspectives of Lexi's fellow cops, the reason for their reactions to her, and the concurrent threats of a witch hunt and a cat-and-mouse game creates a contrast between two investigations operating on quite different levels.
Strong characterization keeps readers involved in Lexi's life and challenges, while attention to logic and perception probe the underlying influences affecting the attitudes of those around her.
These blend nicely with the mystery and intrigue elements and the romance which (predictably, given the cover art) evolves.
Readers seeking a blend of police procedural, love story, and tale of overcoming adversity will find Fall to Pieces compelling on several different levels, above and beyond its romantic developments.
It's a choice worthy of addition recommended for libraries interested in police procedurals and romance stories alike.
