Jessie's Sunday brunch with her parents and sister is interrupted by a call from the department. An elderly man has been found in the bushes in Rancho Park wrapped in an old brown blanket. A small unlabeled vial of what turns out to be digitalis is found in his pants pocket. Initial inspection suggests a heart attack. There is no indication as to the identity of the deceased, although he seems to be too well dressed to be among the ranks of the homeless. His watch and cufflinks are missing, which suggests the possibility of a mugging.

After spending considerable time telephoning hospitals, retirement homes, and extended care facilities in the area, Jessie finally discovers the identity of the victim. His name is Nathan Pomerantz. A recent arrival to Los Angeles from New York, he had been staying at the Golden Hills Retirement Home. Mr. Pomerantz had no family and no one knows much about him.

A search of his room, together with a scar from a tattoo that had been removed, leads Jessie to believe Pomerantz was a Holocaust survivor. The only real clue is the name of a friend in New York, Stanley Goldblum. A conversation with Mr. Goldblum reveals that Pomerantz had been in good health and did not have a heart condition. Armed with this information, Jessie is determined to bring Pomerantz's killer to justice.

Blood Money poses an interesting dilemma because the victim is a recent arrival to California and knows no one. The dilemma arises when we begin with the premise that the motive for murder is one of three things: money, love, or power. Since the victim had little money, that motive seems unlikely. The other two motives require a personal relationship with the victim which does not seem to exist here. This makes the motive and identity of the murderer even more intriguing.

As is the case in all of Ms. Krich's books, the characters' personalities are well developed. Although Jessie Drake is a series character, she does not appear in all of Krich's novels and the author does not assume that the reader is well acquainted with her. At the beginning of the book, the author puts Jessie in situations with her family and colleagues that allow the reader to discover what makes her tick.

Other characters are equally well portrayed. Several are good candidates for the villain of the piece. When Pomerantz's reason for coming to California emerges, it is apparent that there were three or four people who would benefit by his demise. The suspense is sustained throughout the book, compelling the reader to read to the end and then think about the motives some more.

For a thought provoking read with an equally challenging mystery, you can't go wrong with Blood Money.

--Andy Plonka