Suspect by Scott Turow

Grand Central Publishing, 448 pp.

By Charlie Gofen

In Scott Turow’s latest novel, Suspect, the female police chief of Highland Isle has been accused by three male officers of soliciting sex in exchange for promotions. But as the Police and Fire Commission’s hearing into the accusations progresses, it becomes clear that the accusers have major credibility problems. One by one, their stories fall apart as a capable attorney and his unconventional investigator expose their lies.

Avoiding a defeat in the hearing doesn’t mean the chief is safe, though. The reputational damage may still destroy her career, and there’s a darker plot behind the accusations driven by a dirty ex-cop who is out for revenge because the chief ran him out of the department just 15 months short of his pension.

Ultimately, the story expands far beyond the disciplinary hearing, and Turow manages to weave in all sorts of corruption, drugs, child pornography, a mysterious defense contractor, and a killing before building to an action-packed (and satisfying) climax. Fans of crime fiction will appreciate Turow’s eye for detail, such as showing that a particular cell phone feature was added only after the V.I. model came out, and using a blood sample from a dead mosquito to help prove that a suspect was at the scene of a crime.

Turow has long been among the finest writers of legal and crime thrillers, with creative plotting, colorful characters, and exceptional writing. (I would include Tana French and Michael Connelly in this select group.) Very few writers could create an administrative hearing of a local Police and Fire Commission that is as captivating as any murder trial, with shocking testimony, surprise evidence, and huge emotional swings.

Turow takes an interesting risk in Suspect, telling the story from the perspective of the 33-year-old bisexual female investigator Pinky, who wears a nose nail, is “inked from neck to ankle and with a magenta Mohawk,” and oozes sex positivity. She can’t even describe a local restaurant without noting that the carnitas “rival a G-spot orgasm.” It would seem a stretch for Turow to channel Pinky, but he pulls it off, and she’s actually quite endearing and turns out to be a resourceful sleuth. (Pinky is also the granddaughter of defense attorney Sandy Stern, a central character in several of Turow’s books set in mythical Kindle County.)

Somewhat less endearing is the police chief herself, who may not have solicited sex in exchange for promotions but isn’t exactly innocent of hooking up with her underlings. We root for her less because of her integrity than because she’s not nearly as corrupt as most of the cops around her. Still, with Pinky’s help, she just might find a way to redeem herself if she can stay alive to the end.

Charlie Gofen is an investment counselor in Chicago who has taught high school and been a newspaper reporter.