The Red Hot Fix: A Justice Novel by T.E. WoodsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Red Hot Fix- A Justice Novel by T. E. Woods is a 2014 Random House Alibi Publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the second book in the Justice series. I did not read the first book and I think it would be a good idea to read it before you start this one, but it's not absolutely necessary. The story picks up about a year after "The Fixer" killings. Mort is back in his element in the Seattle PD. Mort's son, Robbie, is hitting the big time after his true crime book hit the bestseller list and Hollywood has expressed interest in doing a movie based on his book. Mort still hasn't heard from his daughter and he is still grieving the death of his beloved wife, Edie.
"The Fixer" has had to start life over and just happens to run into a child pornography situation when she meets a young girl in the library. She and Mort are in communication with one another from time to time, each dealing with the fallout of what they went through previously and the guilt that comes with it, no matter how justified their actions were.
Now, Seattle is dealing with a female serial killer who is killing the prostitute's customers. But, when a prominent professional sports owner is murdered and the scene is staged to look like the "Trixie" murders, Mort has his hands full. On a personal note, Mort finds himself attracted to a woman named Charlotte and while one part of him wished to pursue his feelings, the other part of him can't let go of Edie's memory.
This crime novel has a lot going on all at once. A serial killer, a ruthless business man that has made lots of enemies, and a child porn investigation. Although there are many plotlines and the story of Trixie was really creepy and tense, I felt that too much time was spent on the professional sports team story. Much of this could have been cut down and we still could have gotten the big reveal that shocks Mort to the core. The set up for this part of the story dragged on for too long and then the outcome was little too predictable. The child porn investigation is carried out by "The Fixer" ( Lydia) and a young girl's life is a stake making the option for legitimate law enforcement and social services impossible. This part of the book is very disturbing and all too close to the truth. It will turn your stomach and infuriate you all at the same time. I enjoyed this thriller and plan to go back and see how all this got started with Mort and "The Fixer". Overall this one is a 3.5 rounded to 4 stars.
Teri Woods is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Madison, Wisconsin. Her scientific writings are well represented in peer-reviewed journals and academic texts. Her literary works earned her First Place, Fiction at the 2008 University of Wisconsin Writer's Institute.Dr. Woods enjoys kayaking, hiking, biking, and hanging around the house while her two dogs help her make sense of the world. Her habit of relaxing by conjuring up any manner of diabolical murder methods and plots often finds her friends urging her to take up knitting.
