The Trophy Exchange
Free Book Report

Free Book Report: The Trophy Exchange

Lieutenant Lucinda Pierce has had a rough two years.

From the loss of an eye and the gain of one very disfigured face, to the shooting and killing of a very young child, you could say that Lucinda has been hanging on to her job by a very thin thread. When Kathleen Spencer is brutally murdered and found by her eight-year old daughter, Charley, Lucinda has a chance to put her career back on the right track and possibly find a way to forgive herself for what she's done.

Of course, the road to redemption is never an easy one. The Spencer case is fraught with problematic questions, namely why was the woman wearing a piece of jewelry that her husband is adamant did NOT belong to her and more importantly - could Evan Spencer be the murderous husband he is shaping up to be?

As Lucinda hunts down answers to these very pressing questions, more women turn up murdered in the same fashion as Kathleen Spencer causing Lucinda to have a much larger, and more disturbing problem on her hands. It's probable that a serial killer is at work here and Lucinda has a short amount of time to stop him before a storm of police procedure threatens to pollute her case.

To add turbulence to the ever growing hurricane that is her life, Lucinda struggles on a daily basis with her disability, her past, and dark thoughts about where her future leads. Mix it all up and you've got a brooding heroine who isn't afraid to intimidate the toughest of men and chase down any lead to bring a cold-blooded killer to justice.

Free Book Report: The Trophy Exchange Opinion

We all know by now that I'm a mystery lover and have read more than my fair share of books in this genre. So when I shout out "5 Stars" at the top of my lungs for Diane Fanning's The Trophy Exchange it is with extreme enthusiasm.

Every now and then you encounter a book that just speaks to you. You can't put it down, you run the gamut of emotions from anger to fear to elation so intensely that you feel as if you are riding in the front pocket of the narrator. When we're lucky enough to find a book like this we hope it never ends and are ready to beat down the author's door to plead for a sequel.

The Trophy Exchange did that for me.

Lucinda is one of the best female heroines I've read in quite some time. After much thought I realize the reason is quite simple. Lucinda is human. She is not a drop-dead beauty sought after by all the male cops in her department. She is not smart and intuitive to the point of disbelief. She is a person who loves her job, is good at what she does, and has many faults just like the rest of us. The thing that sets her apart is her determination. After a life-changing "domestic violence call" gone very badly, she has to find her way back again to the person she once was. And I think she realizes this is not possible. Her frame of reference for viewing the world has changed and she has to figure out how to change and grow with it while not becoming bitter for what she's lost.

Besides Lucinda, the secondary characters of Charley, Evan and Ted are so well-written you end up feeling as if you've known them personally.

Without saying too much and giving away the mystery, it's sufficient to describe it as chilling, brutal, heart-wrenching, and totally believable. It's absolutely obvious that Diane is the author of seven bestselling true crime books as this story is so realistic that it could be based on a documentary from A&E's Notorious.

If you love a good murder mystery but want to do without all the blood and guts this book is for you.

Free Book Report: The Trophy Exchange Discussion Questions

1. Is the husband always the first suspect in a murder case where his wife is the victim? Why do you suppose this happens?
2. Should Lily Spencer have pursued a second opinion for her son?
3. Does Lucinda hide behind her "Halloween Mask" in order to keep her life neat and tidy?

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