Although a formulaic mystery, this book is worth the read for lovers of mysteries. The lead character is reminiscent of Kinsey Milhone, a favorite of mine. In fact the plot and characters seem similar to Sue Grafton's writing. I doubt I'll read anymore in this series, but the story is well-written, characters well-developed, and the ending (although predictable) was interesting. ( )

Meredith Cole's second novel again stars photographer Lydia McKenzie. She's been doing a series of portraits of photographs featuring the prostitutes that frequent New York City's waterfront. When one of them is found dead, shortly after Lydia has ignored a phone call from her, Lydia feels guilty and responsible, and vows to do the best she can to help find Glenda's killer.

Meanwhile, she has to find time for her day job as administrative assistant for the D'Angelo brothers' detective agency, and a social life with her new significant other, Jack. They don't want her to get involved, and neither does Lydia's old "friend", police detective Daniel Romero.

Lydia begins to volunteer with organization that tries to help women get off the streets, which she hopes will aid in her quest for the killer. At the same time, she is tasked with following the D'Angelo's cousin Al, who is patronizing the waterfront ladies. It dawns on her that the two cases might be linked, and her attempts to prove her theory get her in real trouble.

Lydia is a well-rounded, thoughtful character, and this reviewer looks forward to more of her adventures. ( )