*Starred Review* Corpses don't frighten Cleveland forensic scientist Theresa MacLean. Living, breathing criminals do. Theresa's mettle is tested when her fiancé, Officer Paul Cleary, is taken hostage, along with several bank employees, at the Federal Reserve Building. (Cleary had been investigating the very recent death of a newly hired bank officer, found splayed out on the sidewalk in front of his home.) High-tech surveillance equipment enables the FBI, local cops, and celebrated hostage negotiator Chris Cavanaugh to monitor a steadily worsening situation from a secure location across the street. Hostage-takers Lucas Parrish and Bobby Moyers have demanded millions of dollars and are willing to resort to violence to get it. A desperate Theresa defies negotiator Cavanaugh's instructions and confronts the perpetrators herself, agreeing to become a hostage in exchange for Paul's release. Meanwhile, the cadre of law enforcement digs into Parrish's and Moyers' backgrounds (one is a disgruntled former soldier, and the other has a vendetta against local cops), hoping for a clue to help bring the harrowing scenario to an end. Black, a former latent fingerprint examiner and forensic scientist for the Cleveland coroner's office, delivers a tautly plotted, relentlessly suspenseful debut. Let's hope she writes another scorcher and soon.--Block, Allison Copyright 2008 Booklist

When her fiance is injured after being taken hostage with seven others during a Cleveland bank robbery, forensic scientist Theresa MacLean gets really close to the troublemakers by swapping places with him. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

When high-level executive Mark Ludlow is discovered beaten to death in front of his house early one morning, forensic scientist Theresa MacLean and her fiancé, homicide detective Paul Cleary, investigate in Black's underwhelming debut, a thriller set in Cleveland. Paul immediately heads downtown to interview Ludlow's co-workers at the Federal Reserve Bank and walks right into a botched robbery attempt and hostage situation. Lucas Parrish and Bobby Moyers want $4 million, but top hostage negotiator Chris Cavanaugh isn't ready to give in to their demands. When Paul is shot in the leg and becomes a hostage, Theresa breaks protocol and convinces Lucas to let Paul go and take her instead. It's up to Theresa on the inside and Chris on the outside to uncover the motive behind the robbery and Ludlow's murder before anyone else gets hurt. Theresa, despite her professional training, devotes little time to scientific deduction. Readers can expect to find richer plots on most TV crime dramas. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved All rights reserved.