Fair Warning by Michael Connelly
Jack McEvoy Book 3. Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN:
9781760877989.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Recommended. Fans of Michael
Connelly's journalist hero, Jack McEvoy, will be thrilled at his
return in Fair Warning. With very current themes of the use and
misuse of DNA and the need for consumer awareness, readers are in
for a treat as Jack, a suspect in the murder of a woman he had had a
one night stand with, begins to investigate and finds that he may
have a serial killer in his sights. As he delves deeper into the
case, he finds that there have been several unusual deaths from a
broken neck and the one thing connecting them is the fact that they
have all had their DNA tested by a small company that sells the DNA
to other companies.
This reads well as a stand-alone, as Connelly gives enough
background information about Jack, his past and his difficult
relationship with Rachel, the woman he still longs for. Jack is now
working for FairWarning,
a news site reporting on consumer issues (in an Author's notes, the
reader discovers that this is a real site and the editor Myron Levin
is a real person.) Although a flawed character, Jack does recognise
the things that he could improve, and the reader will feel empathy
for him. Connelly's depiction of the skills necessary for working as
a team member add to the interest in the story as Jack finds it
difficult to collaborate with Emily, another member of FairWarning,
and also to trust Rachel and her relationship with the FBI.
The misuse of DNA will scare anyone who has had DNA testing done to
trace relatives as will the lack of oversight by authorities of the
use and on-selling of DNA in the USA. There are lots of twists and
turns, a vivid description of the process that Jack and his team go
through to find out what is happening, and some scary moments as the
serial killer starts to stalk Jack.
This is a compelling mystery that may well find readers who enjoyed
it going back to read the others in the Jack McEvoy series,
The poet and The scarecrow.
Pat Pledger