Talking to the Dead    by Harry Bingham Order:  USA  Can Bantam, 2013 (2012) Hardcover, Softcover, Audio, CD, e-Book      Reviewed by Lyn Seippel Fiona Griffiths is relieved to be hired by the Wales Police Department in spite of the missing and unexplained two years on her resumé and despite who her dad is. 'Why wouldn't we hire you?' DCI Matthews says during her interview. 'You've got more brains than anyone else in the building.' There are reasons, but Fiona doesn't share them with him. Prostitute Janice Mancini's death might have been passed off as an accidental overdose if her daughter hadn't been murdered at the same time. Six-year-old April Mancini grabs the attention of the young Detective Constable and finding the killer becomes her mission. Trying to give meaning to the Mancinis' lives, Fiona organizes a televised funeral that includes hundreds of mourners plus a celebrity and the city mayor. Fiona is not a rule follower which could be a problem in this investigation. Playing her own game, she gets close enough to the killer to put herself in danger. Fiona Griffiths is my new favorite heroine. She'd like nothing more than to be a true citizen of Planet Normal and to feel the things that everyone else feels. Her lost two years were due to a serious problem, one that she chooses not to share with the reader until near the end of the book. Talking to the Dead is a great mystery and the first of an upcoming series. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews