The Lucinda Pierce Mystery series is a book series written by American non-fiction author and novelist Diane Fanning, debuted in 2008 with The Trophy Exchange. The four-part series, released by Severn House in the UK and US, features Virginia Homicide Detective Lucinda Pierce as she follows the evidence and investigates murders. Known for her non-fiction true crime books, Publishers Weekly described the series as "double duty for Fanning."Publishers Weekly, "Book News," "Double Duty for Fanning," November 16, 2007 (scroll down)
Publishers Weekly, in a later review of Twisted Reason, fourth in the series, wrote, "Edgar-finalist Fanning skillfully illuminates the heartbreaking challenges facing Alzheimer’s victims and their families in her fourth mystery featuring Virginia homicide detective Lucinda Pierce."Publishers Weekly, "Twisted Reason," November 15, 2010 Also with the release of Twisted Reason, the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung newspaper wrote, because Alzheimer's was something the author had witnessed first-hand with her father and father-in-law, "When New Braunfels author Diane Fanning wrote Twisted Reason, the fourth in the Lucinda Pierce mystery series, she cried as she wrote certain passages.""New Braunfels author of true crime novels pens new mystery", New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung, December 20, 2010 (requires subscription)
Plot summaries
The Trophy Exchange In the first of the series, Lieutenant Lucinda Pierce has been having a difficult time. She lost an eye and disfigured her face responding to a domestic violence call. Now she is faced with a serial killer, and her main suspect is a respected doctor known for his international relief work. To catch him she is forced to bend the rules. Amazon page, The Trophy Exchange, July 1, 2008
Punish the Deed A mutilated body is found sprawled on an office kitchen's floor. Beside it a note read: "I was left behind." Homicide Detective Lucinda Pierce chases a killer whose targets are heads of nonprofit agencies. Amazon page, Punish the Deed, March 1, 2009
Mistaken Identity In a suburban home, a woman’s body is carefully laid out on a bed. In the bathroom, a male corpse is missing both its head and its hands. When the victims’ 13-year-old son claims his father is immortal, Lieutenant Pierce suspects that the family has something to hide.Amazon, Mistaken Identity, December 1, 2010
Twisted Reason A missing elderly man with Alzheimer's disease shows up dead on his son’s front porch, leading homicide detective Lucinda Pierce to investigate the mysterious deaths of other Alzheimer's sufferers in the area.Twisted Reason, January 1, 2011
False Front When Candace Eagleton is murdered after her marriage is revealed to be a scam, Lucinda Pierce vows to catch the killer.False Front, March 1, 2012
Wrong Turn When the body of Emily Sherman is found in the basement of a serial killer, Homicide Detective Lucinda Pierce must go back to the original case to right the wrong she did years ago.Wrong Turn February 1, 2013
Chain Reaction Lucinda Pierce comes face-to-face with terrorism when she is called out to the site of a bomb blast at a local high school.Chain Reaction, March 1, 2014
Reviews Kirkus Reviews' 2008 review of The Trophy Exchange described author Fanning as producing "an exciting, emotionally intense story with a complex heroine whose future adventures will be widely anticipated."Kirkus Reviews, "The Trophy Exchange," June 1, 2008
Kirkus wrote in 2010 when Punish the Deed was released that Lucinda "is such a strong heroine that she should engage many readers."Kirkus Reviews, "Mistaken Identity," April 1, 2010
For Twisted Reason, Kirkus wrote, "As usual, Fanning poses Lucinda a quirky mystery, this time providing a thoughtful look at the stress of those caring for loved ones with dementia."Kirkus Reviews, "Twisted Reason," November 1, 2010
Library Journal, in its review of Twisted Reason, said that "true crime author Fanning brings a rare brand of realism to her work."Library Journal, "Mystery Reviews," December 2010
References
External links Author's official site Lucinda Pierce facebook page