Rating: 2 1/2 stars

An amber alert is issued for five-year-old Hanna Parker and Detective Cee Cee Gallagher jumps into action. It’s not long before Hanna’s body is found in an Amish cornfield made up to look like a doll. Hanna is only the first of many children who will be murdered unless Cee Cee and her team find the killer in time.

When the FBI is brought in to assist with the case, Cee Cee finds herself teamed up with Agent Michael Hagerman, a man she fell in love with the previous year and the reason her marriage to fellow police officer, Eric, almost ended. Dealing with her feelings for Michael, as well as the persistent rumor that her husband is having an affair with his female trainee, Cee Cee soon learns that she has bigger problems when the killer focuses on her.

The Devil's Closet is the first book in the Cee Cee Gallagher series. Stacy Dittrich takes the old adage “write what you know” very seriously. The main character is based on herself and the supporting cast closely resembles her family. Despite this, or maybe in spite of this, the writing is very stiff and overthought. Every obvious detail and action is explained and spoon-fed to the reader. The main character is inconsistent; Cee Cee constantly refers to what a tough, experienced detective she is, but she is often comes off as weak and fearful. She repeatedly states how into her kids she is but she practically never sees them, much less interacts with them.

Although the story is quite formulaic, it’s entertaining enough to keep you reading. I look forward to the next book in the series. Perhaps by then, Stacy will have loosened up and Cee Cee will have toughened up.

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Publisher: Leisure Books
Pub. Date: September 2008
ISBN-13: 9780843961591