Act of Betrayal (1996)

No one has a better eye for bizarre detail than Miami crime reporter-turned-novelist Edna Buchanan. Who else would tell you that Miami courts try so many voodoo practitioners that nearby alleys are littered with dead chickens and goats? Alas, a novel needs more than twisted asides and a wisecracking heroine. It needs characters and a credible plot, neither of which emerges in Act of Betrayal. Writing a series about missing teens, reporter Britt Montero senses there's a serial killer on the loose. But her skeptical editors merely assign her to profile a big shot Cuban-exile leader. So guess who becomes Britt's prime suspect? We wouldn't dream of giving away the ending; you'd think we were kidding if we did. C