"When the night is young and the land is dark ...I won't be afraid...stand by me." Song Lyrics

New York Detective, Mike Hoolihan is called to the scene of an apparent suicide.

Mike is a woman with a nicotine voice, dyed blond hair and is an alcoholic who had been abused by her father.

The victim is Jennifer Rockwell, who Mike had known since Jenn was a little girl. Jenn if the daughter of Mike's former boss, Col Tom Rockwell, who is also a father image to Mike.

After viewing the body, Mike speculates that Jennifer did commit suicide but when she tells Co. Tom, he can't accept that and asks Mike to look at her findings again.

The medical report is that there were multiple bullets in Jennifer. Could her finger have frozen while pulling the trigger? Why would this seemingly happy, well adjusted, beautiful girl commit suicide?

The author gives the reader an appealing character in Mike Hollihan. Amis must have been in a mischievous mood when he was establishing her characteristics as a woman named Mike, formerly abused by her father and an alcoholic.

I was drawn into the story as it went along and found it quite delightful.