From Publishers Weekly
Daniel Hood, a sweet bachelor math teacher who's still recovering from his last encounter with danger (in 2001's Echoes of Lies), finds himself once again dealing with the consequences of a crime, in this poignant and chilling psychological thriller by British veteran Bannister. Daniel has befriended Brodie Farrell, single mom and owner of the search service, Looking for Something?, and he invites her daughter, Paddy, over to look at the stars and planets to celebrate her fifth birthday. But the telescope shows Daniel more than Jupiter-he witnesses a murder on the pier in front of his house. DI Jack Deacon recognizes a pattern in the crime and immediately identifies a suspect, a serial killer who escaped a murder conviction 10 years earlier. Daniel, on the other hand, is uncertain. Brodie, knowing Daniel won't settle for anything less than the absolute truth and fearing that he'll get himself into trouble, decides to begin her own investigation. Bannister (Changelings, etc.) skillfully moves her characters through an intriguing tale of tragedy and death in a small town, exploring their thoughts and motives. Brodie makes a refreshingly realistic sleuth, Jack an appealing detective, but it is Daniel, with his obsession with truth and honesty, his sensitivity to the human condition and his determination, who stars here.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
When murder befalls Bubbles Xingara, Britain's premier tennis star, detective Harriet Martens (The Hard Detective) takes charge of the investigation. While she must be especially careful in light of worldwide attention, she mostly fears the fact that, although supposedly happily married, she's fallen for a fellow officer. An intriguing plot from a practiced hand.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
In the second entry in the Brodie Farrell-Daniel Hood series, following Echoes of Lies [BKL D 1 01], Hood, a teacher and amateur astronomer, sets up his telescope near Dimmock Pier on a cold winter night and sees more than the stars--he witnesses a murder. The police think that serial killer Neil Cochrane, who was never prosecuted because of lack of evidence, is the culprit. The death of a second victim reinforces the cops' suspicions, and they arrest Cochrane. However, when Daniel informs the police that they have the wrong man in custody, they refuse to consider this possibility. Daniel sets out to investigate on his own, with dire consequences. His friend Brodie, a single mother who runs her own business, comes to his aid and draws the attention of gruff Inspector Deacon, who finds himself attracted to her. In a novel full of well-developed, interesting characters, Bannister builds a complex case with plenty of surprises that will keep readers guessing about what really happened until the very end. An intricate psychological puzzler. Barbara Bibel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Book Description
A teenage boy is beaten to death on Dimmock's derelict pier. Detective Jack Deacon is convinced they have the murderer; he just needs a positive identification to lock him up for good. But the only witness is astronomer Daniel Hood, in his own way a man as determined as Jack.
Compelling as the circumstantial evidence is against the suspected killer, Daniel cannot be certain that this was the man he saw from his window. Nothing anybody says - or does - can convince him to take the easy way out and implicate a man without satisfying his own conscience first.
With the whole town baying for blood, the only person who understands is Brodie Farrell, who steps in to defend her friend. Using her uncanny knack for "finding things," perhaps she can unravel part of this mystery and ease Daniel's burden. . .
A taut, compelling exploration of love and honor, True Witness is the exciting new crime novel featuring Brodie Farrell and Daniel Hood.
About the Author
Jo Bannister is the author of over twenty acclaimed novels. She started her career as a journalist, but left her position as Editor of County Down Spectator to pursue her writing full time. She lives in Northern Ireland.
True Witness FROM THE PUBLISHER
"Teenage boy is beaten to death on Dimmock's derelict pier. Detective Jack Deacon is convinced they have the murderer; he just needs a positive identification to lock him up for good. But the only witness is astronomer Daniel Hood, in his own way, a man as determined as Jack." "Compelling as the circumstantial evidence is against the suspected killer, Daniel cannot be certain that this was the man he saw from his window. Nothing anybody says - or does - can convince him to take the easy way out and implicate a man without satisfying his own conscience first." With the whole town baying for blood, the only person who understands is Brodie Farrell, who steps in to defend her friend. Using her uncanny knack for "finding things," perhaps she can unravel part of this mystery and ease Daniel's burden.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Daniel Hood, a sweet bachelor math teacher who's still recovering from his last encounter with danger (in 2001's Echoes of Lies), finds himself once again dealing with the consequences of a crime, in this poignant and chilling psychological thriller by British veteran Bannister. Daniel has befriended Brodie Farrell, single mom and owner of the search service, Looking for Something?, and he invites her daughter, Paddy, over to look at the stars and planets to celebrate her fifth birthday. But the telescope shows Daniel more than Jupiter-he witnesses a murder on the pier in front of his house. DI Jack Deacon recognizes a pattern in the crime and immediately identifies a suspect, a serial killer who escaped a murder conviction 10 years earlier. Daniel, on the other hand, is uncertain. Brodie, knowing Daniel won't settle for anything less than the absolute truth and fearing that he'll get himself into trouble, decides to begin her own investigation. Bannister (Changelings, etc.) skillfully moves her characters through an intriguing tale of tragedy and death in a small town, exploring their thoughts and motives. Brodie makes a refreshingly realistic sleuth, Jack an appealing detective, but it is Daniel, with his obsession with truth and honesty, his sensitivity to the human condition and his determination, who stars here. (Dec. 2) Forecast: Hints that the relationship between Brodie and Jack will develop into something more significant in later installments should attract mystery readers who like a little romance. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Library Journal
When murder befalls Bubbles Xingara, Britain's premier tennis star, detective Harriet Martens (The Hard Detective) takes charge of the investigation. While she must be especially careful in light of worldwide attention, she mostly fears the fact that, although supposedly happily married, she's fallen for a fellow officer. An intriguing plot from a practiced hand.
Kirkus Reviews
Ten years ago, DI George Ennis and his protﾽgﾽ Jack Deacon, of the Dimmock CID, were frustratingly unable to prove sheep farmer Neil Cochrane was the man who had raped and murdered three teenaged boys. Now that Ennis has retired, a fresh murder whose victim and circumstances look remarkably familiar casts new suspicion on Cochrane. The only problem is that math tutor Daniel Hood, the eyewitness who saw the killer toss gifted runner Chris Berry off the end of a pier into the English Channel, obstinately refuses to identify Cochrane as the perp. Daniel isn't to know that his failure to breathe life into the limp body he struggled to pull from the waves is only the first of many defeats. Deacon, who's in charge of the case, refuses to believe his testimony; Chris's friends are convinced that Daniel's lying to save himself from reprisals; angry townsfolk descend on Daniel's little house and burn it to the ground minutes after he escapes. With nothing left to lose, tormented Daniel, half-wishing his identification wrong, decides to check his memory by confronting Cochrane face to face-and that's when Bannister (Echoes of Lies, 2001, etc.) springs the first of several chilling surprises. There's practically nothing here for series heroine Brodie Farrell, who's good at finding things, and Daniel's unshakeable integrity in the face of his Job-like sufferings passes belief. No matter. The fevered search Daniel shares with the copper who hates him is worth every minute it'll take to speed through this white-hot whodunit.
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