As the twosome begins to make overtures toward her, she decides to go to Cliff's apartment, having had her several phone calls to him remain unanswered. As Molly leaves the bar to hail a cab, she feels uneasy, as if someone were watching or stalking her. She shrugs off the feeling, chalking it up to her unease about Cliff. Molly has decided that tonight she will break off their relationship. He is a nice enough fellow, but she is not ready for a long-term commitment.

Arriving at his door, she slides her key into the lock and realizes that the door is unlocked. Frightened, she enters the apartment calling his name. Nothing seems amiss until she opens the bedroom door. The picture is surreal. Cliff is lying face down on his bed with his head disfigured from a gunshot wound fired at close range. Carefully arranged on his back are his service revolver and his police identification badge.

Shocked beyond reason, she tearfully calls the police.

Be Mine is the third in a series of thrillers featuring Tom Reed, a crime reporter for the San Francisco Star. I have not read the previous two, Blood of Others and No Way Back feature the same protagonist. This entry, however, focuses on his fellow reporter, Molly Wilson. Tom's role is that of a supportive friend who tracks down a few clues. Molly has dated a number of men, some casually, some with a more serious intent. The death of Cliff Hooper, followed soon after by his partner Ray Beamon, both of whom Molly dated, put her initially in the role as a possible suspect. She is quickly eliminated as the perpetrator, but obviously, she is an important key to solving the heinous crimes.

As a thriller the plot works fairly well with only a few circumstances in which serendipity or luck plays a major part. The lead detective assigned to the case, Walt Sydowski, systematically works his way through Molly's list of men, eliminating them as possible suspects. Red herrings emerge which the astute reader will recognize as such. Flashbacks to events of twenty odd years ago reveal the perpetrator then a high school student suffering perceived romantic setbacks which lead to a crime, presumably making his present day actions plausible.

A series of events critical to the solution of the crime involves two women who have become drug addicts. One is asked by the perpetrator to make a phone call in return for drugs (which turn out to be, surprise, surprise, life threatening). On her death bed she reveals the details of this phone call to her druggie friend who is then able to provide the police with a critical piece of information necessary to solving the crime. A very dramatic scene to be sure, but a remarkably propitious one for the authorities.

Molly herself demonstrates a decided lack of caution in the later chapters of the book. She is not portrayed as a risk taker, so it seems out of character to put herself within reach of any man since her potential assailant is probably someone she knows well. If she is at all maze bright, she should never be alone with anyone. Of course, she does allow this scenario to occur, demonstrating she has not an ounce of common sense.

As a diversion, Be Mine will adequately relieve the boredom of a plane ride or help pass some time on the beach. The reader will not, however, be left with any critical thoughts to be contemplated at a later date. When the last page is turned, this story is over.

--Andy Plonka