False Prophet

False Prophet (1992) Faye Kellerman

The fifth Peter and Rina mystery.

The daughter of a famous actress is found naked and bruised in her home. Peter is first on the scene and the young woman latches onto him, making an already confusing case even more difficult.

“Do you have the combination—”

Brecht rose from his seat. “Why would I have the combination to her safe!”

“My brother and I have the combination to my parents’ safe,” Decker said. “I don’t have any idea what valuables they keep inside, but they gave us the combination in case something happened to them.”

Brecht seemed suspended in midair, then he slowly sat back down.

Decker shrugged. “With you being so close to your sister— you have a key to the house— well, I thought she might have trusted you with the combination.”

Plus: Rina is pregnant.

“I’m fine, Rina. I’m getting full.”

She piled another half-dozen knishes on his plate. “Here. Take.”

“I don’t want any more,” Decker said.

Rina looked at him, her eyes suddenly moistening. “You don’t like them?”

“No, no,” Decker backtracked. “They’re delicious.”

There is one hell of a mother in this story.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Decker said. “I’m sure Lilah is devastated as well.”

“Why? She didn’t lose any jewelry.” There was a momentary pause. “Oh… yes, that was terrible. Poor dear.”

This seems to be the book in which Peter is shifting from Vietnam to generic Army service. I could be wrong, but I wanted to note it, since the same thing happened in the Spenser and Elvis Cole books.

Very interesting mystery, if somewhat horrifying. What I found most fascinating was the secret uncovered between Mike and Kellie. The secrets of the rich and famous are always large and extravagant and horrifying. But Mike and Kelley’s secret was just as horrible, and just as believable.
Rating: 8/10

Published by William Morrow

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