Blood Over Badge by Wayne Farquhar

"He could feel blows all over his body but he went numb. Pierce beat the shit out of him with a small wooden billy club."

Title:Blood Over Badge
Author: Wayne Farquhar
ISBN: 9780615359113
Publisher: 3L publishing/2010
Pages: 250

It starts with the trial of Kyle, who is barely 17 years old. He has murdered a man and is sentenced for life and sent to Angola Penitentiary, which is a hell hole. 16 years later, we see that his body, mind and soul slowly dissolving away. 

In San Francisco, the Mayor's daughter is kidnapped and murdered. The killer is a rapist too. Jack Paige and Casey Ford are investigating it. They are in look out for the murderer. 

These two are unrelated crimes and unrelated murderers. And suddenly there is a link. And what is that link? The characters have not much in common, not with the victim, the convicts or anyone else. Yet, there is a relationship. And such a one which takes the reader over the edge. With well etched characters, family issues, a revolting correctional officer, and very plausible detailing, intense emotions, great dialogues, this a good crime fiction debut. The ending is such that it hits the reader hard. And we are left with mixed feelings. 

No murderer deserves sympathy, no crime is greater than killing. Yet, there are questions on is it what we want our system to be? Don't prisoners deserve a decent life in prison? How does one deal with crooked correctional officers? As a murder mystery, it works well and Wayne Farquhar can deliver.