Review of BLACK REED BAY by Rod Reynolds

 4 Stars

I’ve received an advance reading copy of Shatter Creek by Rod Reynolds. When I discovered that it is the second in the Detective Casey Wray series, I decided to read the first installment, Black Reed Bay.

A young woman named Tina Grace makes a frantic 911 call in the middle of the night from an exclusive community on Long Island. Then she disappears. Casey leads the investigation, assisted by her team, especially her partner Dave Cullen. From the beginning she feels that people are not being truthful, but things become more complicated when bodies of young women are found near where Tina disappeared. And then there are office politics and the possibility of corruption in her department which make it difficult for Casey to know who can be trusted.

Since this is the first of the series, I paid particular attention to character development. If I do not engage with the protagonist, I will not continue a series. This is not an issue here because I found myself liking Casey right from the beginning. Now in her late 30s, she faced challenges when she was a rookie but has proven herself and earned the respect of colleagues. Married to her job, she has virtually no personal life; her partner tells her that “the job was so far under her skin, she’d need an exorcism to be free of it.” Her intelligence is obvious in her constant questioning of the information they uncover. Her determination is also noticeable; she may become frustrated as promising leads become dead ends, but, motivated by a desire for justice, she never gives up. She is also highly principled: she has a clearly defined sense of right and wrong and conscientiously does what is right.

It is Casey’s relationships with others that caught my attention. I loved her snappy, sassy banter with her co-workers. The wise-cracking lightens the mood and gives a real sense of camaraderie amongst the team. Casey knows her team members well, supporting them and helping them build self-confidence. Her relationship with Tina’s family is also noteworthy. She sees Tina as a person, not just a victim, and does not judge Tina’s choices or those of other family members.

Though a strong character, Casey is not perfect. She’s capable, honest, hard-working, and compassionate, but she also has insecurities and vulnerabilities. In the middle of the novel, she is involved in a traumatic event that shows her fragile side. I love such a complex and credible main character.

The novel starts slowly but gains momentum. As the investigation continues, it’s obvious that people are keeping secrets. And as one would expect, there are some surprises. An incident in the middle of the novel is a real shocker! And then it seems that Casey herself is in danger so tension ramps up.

This is a solid, satisfying police procedural which kept me engaged from the beginning. I want to spend more time with Casey Wray so I’m off to read Shatter Creek.