
Detective Bill Lincoln is a retired Oakland Police Detective, who now works freelance and is often called in to assist the police when they reach an impasse on a serious crime. In The Oakland Hills Vodou Murders, by debutant novelist Glen C Carrington, Hillary Dillard, the youngest daughter of a prominent Oakland family is found raped and murdered on the campus of the University she attends. There are clear signs that Vodou beliefs and religion may be at play in the murder. With no leads, and mounting pressure from the media, the Mayor and Hillary’s prominent family, the police turn to Bill Lincoln for help. What he uncovers sets us off on a journey like no other, with few clues, but an amazing collection of “coincidences” that need to be investigated.
The Oakland Hill Vodou Murders is strong on police procedure and fans of solid police crime mysteries will surely enjoy this. As a long-time fan of an older generation police author, Ed McBain, I found Glen C Carrington’s focus on the lines of enquiry and channels of investigation to be along the same lines as McBain. This was a very enjoyable, if longish read and there were plenty of unexpected twists and turns to keep any mystery reader enthralled. I was pleased to read at the end of the book, that Carrington has plans for another “Lincoln” mystery as his next published work. One of the perks of this job is discovering new, talented, indie authors and I can honestly say, Carrington fits this mold. An excellent debut novel and I await the next with interest.
