Reviewer: Lori Graham
Title: Black Silk
Author: Metsy Hingle
Publisher: Mira Books
ISBN: 0-7783-2281-5
Release Date: March 2006
Genre/Sub-genre: Romantic Suspense
Year/Setting: Current, New Orleans
Overall rating: 4.8
Sexual content rating: Subtle (with one sexual brief scene)
Language (profanity) content rating: Mild
Violent content rating: Minimal
Metsy's Website:
www.metsyhingle.com
Charlotte "Charlie" Le Blanc is haunted by her sister’s murder years prior. So haunted, in fact, she gives up her own career aspirations to be a lawyer and becomes a homicide detective. She is one of the most thorough compassionate detectives on the squad because she understands the situation better than most. While her mind always has the details of her sister’s death in the background, she is still unnerved to be called to the scene of new murder laid out just as her sister’s had been.
Charlie and her partner, Vince Kossak, are assigned the case but given explicit instructions to not mess up and play it close to the vest on this one. The murdered woman is none other than Francesca, the fiancée of J.P. Stratton, one of the richest men in New Orleans and to complicate matters she is killed on the eve of her wedding. This makes the investigation tougher because the Strattons seem to feel they are above the law and don’t particularly like answering questions. There is Cole, the oldest son who is estranged from his father. Next is Aaron, who is currently 2nd in command of the family business but by no means the favored son. There are the twins Philip and Jason, who while very different, equally don’t understand their father’s life style (and one of whom seems to be carrying a torch for the deceased himself). Then there is the only daughter, Holly, who is totally against the marriage especially since Francesca used to be her friend but in reality was just using her. Now to make matters even more fun, let’s not forget the pastor who spent quite a bit of time in the deceased’s apartment the night she was killed.
As Charlie begins investigating this crime, events begin to creep a bit too close to home. A witness is murdered in the same fashion as her sister and Francesca and little items keep creeping into Charlie’s life to give her the hint she may be getting a little to close to comfort for the killer. She is determined, however, not to let go of this path because it is the closest she has come to solving her sister, Emily’s, murder. In the midst of everything else, Cole is never far from her mind. She keeps telling herself she can’t allow this to happen since he is a suspect but the heart doesn’t always listen to the mind.
Metsy Hingle knits together some pretty interesting characters in Black Silk. She does a fabulous job of illustrating family dynamics and how families can become thoroughly dysfunctional while appearing to be the crème of society. The character of Charlie, though, is by far the most complex. Charlie has allowed her life and feelings to be controlled by the guilt she feels over her sister’s murder. Metsy introduces the other characters such as her partner, Vince, and her sister, Anne, to help her on the road to figuring out how to overcome that guilt and live her life.
The plot line, itself, is quite well done. The twists and turns will have you guessing. One chapter you are just sure one character "did it". The next chapter you start thinking there is bound to be a butler introduced and by the next, you are clearing the slate and starting over again.
While the book itself is very well done and is a good buy on its own, Metsy is also committed to giving 10% of the earnings from Black silk to Habitat for Humanity for the New Orleans area. A win/win situation. 
Order one or more autographed Black Silk books from Metsy and help her help Habitat For Humanity New Orleans.
Lori
Question or comment regarding the review or the book? Click here and let Lori know.
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