Blake, Victoria – BLOODLESS SHADOW

[LJ Roberts]

BLOODLESS SHADOW (Private Investigator-England-Cont) – G+ Blake, Victoria – 1^st in series
Orion, 2003- UK Hardcover

Samantha "Sam" Falconer is a former World Judo Champion and now a private investigator. Her brother asks her to look for the missing wife of a friend of his in Oxford, where Sam grew up. But returning to Oxford brings up difficult issues for Sam and the memory of her father who died when she was young. Or did he? Sam has received a letter from a man who claims to be that father.

The story focuses much more on character, particularly that of Sam, than on the mystery. But it is the first of the series and Sam is a fascinating character on which to focus. At the same time, Blake does a very good job of joining together the issues in Sam's life and the mysteries she's trying to solve. The story did keep me reading and interested enough that I've already bough the second book.