In the humid dog days of a Pittsburgh summer weekend, Richard Christie, Head of Homicide, faces not one, but two mysterious murders. The victimsa polite woman and an angelic childdo not seem to be connected in any obvious way. Christie is short-handed, the clues don't stack up, and he's got a rookie detective, Colleen Greer, to look out for. These are his problems.
Colleen has problems, too. Her boyfriend is trying to break up with her, she's got a serious crush on her mentor, Christie, and it turns out she knew both victims slightly. Early in the investigation, she gets an alarming idea about the perpetrator's identity, but the man she suspects has no obvious connection to the victims. She has to move carefully with nothing but a gut feeling to go onall the while disturbed by a series of memories of her own childhood.
"[T]he skillfully rendered characters draw you into their lives. An excellent procedural."
"A gripping, gritty police procedural."
"George's solid third Pittsburgh thriller (after 2004's Fallen) introduces rookie detective Colleen Greer to the homicide squad... George leaves enough balls in the air that fans will eagerly await Christie and Greer's next case."
"In her third crime novel (after Fallen; Taken), George showcases her ability to craft a good mystery with an in-depth understanding of police work and attention to detail."
"Afterimage sizzles with irony, tension, and surprise.... Nearly flawless in its plot and execution, Kathleen George's Afterimage iswe can hopejust one of many Colleen Greer adventures waiting for us in the future."
"Dark and gripping, Colleen Greer's progress in this top-notch police procedural is further enhanced by the author's deftly deployed humor and irony. Written with a noteworthy flair for plotting and a sharp eye for psychological details in her characters, author Kathleen George's Afterimage is a well-crafted and entertaining novel."
Check out this video interview on Post-Gazette.com.
"With a background in theater, it's no surprise that Kathleen George's novels are intricately plotted affairs with well-developed characters. What could be viewed as curious is George's milieu. Her booksFallen, Taken and the new Afterimageare crime novels, the genre that ranges from bloody pulp fiction to twee English mysteries involving tea and little old ladies. George, a professor of theater at the University of Pittsburgh who lives in the North Side, is merely following a precedent set by William Shakespeare..." Read more here.
Pittsburgh City Paper does a mini feature on Kathy: "Kathleen George is building a reputation for her crime novels featuring veteran Pittsburgh homicide cop Richard Christie..."