Playing God: A Joe Burgess Mystery    by Kate Flora Order:  USA  Can Five Star, 2006 (2006) Hardcover     Reviewed by Lyn Seippel When homicide detective Joe Burgess catches a call for the murder of Dr. Stephen Pleasant, he offers to pass the case on to another detective because he has prior experience with the prominent doctor. Dr. Pleasant misdiagnosed his mother's cancer. Middle aged and cranky, this anti-hero is the best cop in the Portland, Maine police department. Burgess is ordered to stay on the case and find the killer without ruffling the feathers of the city's influential leading citizens. Burgess ignores politics and pushes full speed ahead to find the killer. Besides Pleasant's office staff and fellow physicians, and his widow's powerful family, Burgess finds himself questioning hookers who might have been on the scene before and during the murder, looking for a nasty pimp, and chasing a rumor that Pleasant was selling drugs. The list of suspects for Pleasant's murder keeps getting longer and longer, as Burgess uncovers secret after nasty secret of the doctor's business and private life. Skilled writer, Kate Flora, writes a stunning police procedural that is a complete switch from her Thea Kozac mysteries, but every bit as good. Since she has set the stage for future novels, readers can look forward to more of detective Joe Burgess. 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