Journalist Jack McEvoy makes his third appearance in “Fair Warning” by Michael Connelly. As a crime reporter, Jack solved murders in the novels “The Scarecrow” and “The Poet.” Now McEvoy is working for a consumer watchdog website called Fair Warning.
But Jack grabs onto a murder investigation when law enforcement officers come to question him about a woman with whom he had a one-night stand. Her neck has been broken in an internal decapitation using a type of whiplash motion. While investigating, he discovers several more women who have had their necks broken in the same matter, all of the deaths staged to look like accidents. All of the women are linked by the fact that all of them had signed up for a DNA site called GT23. This site charges only $23 for its services. The price is so cheap because as is explained in the fine print, the company sells data to various users. It’s supposed to be anonymous, but the buyers have ways to identify the participants.
And that is exactly what one buyer has done. This firm buys data on DRD4 or “dirty four” women. These are women who have an addiction gene. Addictions include alcohol, drugs, and sex. The names of these women are sold to involuntary celibate men. These men blame women for their inability to find sex partners. One of these men is known by the nickname the Shrike. The Shrike is responsible for the deaths of these women.
But who is the Shrike? Jack starts investigating and brings in former FBI agent Rachel Walling. He also brings in fellow reporter Emily. Of course, this puts both women as well as Jack in danger. What will be their next clue and where will it lead them? Jack has been able to get the website he is working for to invest in the story as a warning to consumers about DNA websites.
This novel has a brisk pace to it. The book gives us a realistic look at journalism. Author Michael Connelly was himself a reporter for a time. He makes it a point to show that good journalism is based on good ethics and making sure each detail is correct. “Fair Warning” makes a nice addition to his authorship.
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