Book Review no: 12 Malicious Intent by Kathryn Fox

Dr Anya Chrichton has just started freelancing in the male dominated field of forensic pathology, but work is sparse - until she is asked to look into the seemingly non-suspicious death of a teenage girl from a Lebanese background. A few minor details from the case are disturbingly similar to another case she is working on....then another and another. Too bizarre to be a conincidence, Anya realises she has uncovered some kind of sinister plot and more frighteningly, that a serial killer is on the loose.
 I was a big fan of Patricia Cornwell's early work and this book reminded me a lot of that. With the strong female lead character working in the same male dominated field and the gory (yet fascinating) details of forensic pathology as the theme, I was hooked right from the beginning.

 You really get a sense of Anya right from early on in the story and can sympathise with her as she struggles to cope not only with career challenges, but also personal ones, including having lost custody of her only child. I thought she was a well-developed character and can see the potential for growth as the series continues.

There is a fair amount of forensic/medical jargon within the storyline, but I didn't find it too bogged down in it. If you have read in this genre before, you would be familiar with most of it and if not, you do start to learn as you read. I enjoyed the Sydney setting and the realistic portrayal of the "boys club" when it comes to working with police and other related agencies.

The book has got a good pace to it and the suspense builds nicely as the story moves to its conclusion.

A great debut novel and I look forward to reading the other titles in the series.