"Patricia Smiley's The Second Goodbye has everything you want in a cop mystery—a winning but flawed protagonist, deep knowledge of police procedures, rising dramatic tension, and a supporting cast that piques interest and propels the plot. Others have remarked that Smiley's books remind them of early books in the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly. That's high praise indeed. As Smokey Robinson once sang, 'I second that emotion.' Eight of those Bosch books were narrated on audio by Broadway star Len Cariou in a perfect match of an author's written words with a narrator's spoken ones. Sadly, Mr. Cariou is no longer doing the Bosch narrations. Happily, with The Second Goodbye I've found a pairing that equals the Connelly-Cariou partnership in Patricia Smiley and Harley Jane Kozak. Kozak, a veteran actor and novelist herself, captures every nuance of Smiley's words adding to the depth of characters and the drive of the story. She's so good that it tempts me to write a book with a female protagonist just to get Kozak to do the narration. The bottom line? A terrific crime novel made even better by the narration. Bravissima!"
—Keith Raffel on the audio version of The Second Goodbye (5 stars!)
"With a cast of bright and colorful characters, Smiley does a fantastic job of spinning together deception and mystery into a plot that ties up neatly in the end...The Second Goodbye is a well-written suspense and mystery novel that I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of the genre."
—Seattle Book Review on The Second Goodbye
"Third time's the charm—as in the third outing of Patricia Smiley's phenomenal Pacific Homicide series...With the passing of Sue Grafton, the Queen of Alphabet Soup-titled mysteries, I've discovered a Kinsey Millhone doppelgaenger in Davie Richards. A thoroughly satisfying and well-crafted police procedural."
—Dean Murphy, Bookreporter.com (Rated The Second Goodbye one of the top ten books of 2018)
"Smiley's third intricately plotted procedural (after Outside the Wire) features an intrepid female police officer who will appeal to readers drawn to the teamwork and careful step-by-step exposition in other procedurals with female protagonists, such as Vicki Delany's Molly Smith mysteries or Linda Castillo's Kate Burkholder novels."
—Library Journal on The Second Goodbye
"The storyline is constructed with more twists than a Halloween corn maze...Smiley proves herself an expert in the cold-case crime-solving cop capers. This is a series and a book that will fascinate fans, making this a highly recommended read."
—Book Review Crew on The Second Goodbye
"...a straight ahead jolt of police procedural adrenaline. Like Michael Connelly, Patricia Smiley grabs hold of you and pulls you into the story without tricks or gimmicks. Just a great story told by a great storyteller. The Second Goodbye catapults Smiley onto the top tier of crime writers!"
—Matt Coyle, Anthony Award-winning author of the Rick Cahill crime series on The Second Goodbye
"Sassy and analytical, L.A. Detective Davie Richards utilizes 'shoe leather and minutiae' to unravel a brilliantly staged fake suicide. Seamless prose, tightly crafted clues, and surprising twists make The Second Goodbye a memorable police procedural. Brew the coffee for the graveyard shift, as you'll be up all night reading."
—K.J. Howe, best-selling author of The Freedom Broker and Skyjack on The Second Goodbye
"Patricia Smiley tackles Michael Connelly territory and succeeds with a realistic, compelling police procedural in the badlands of contemporary Los Angeles. Detective Davie Richards is a smart, no-nonsense heroine, and the storytelling had me turning the pages at the expense of mundane activities like sleeping. The Second Goodbye is an intriguing mystery laced with well-researched law enforcement practices."
—Raymond Benson, author of In the Hush of the Night and The Black Stiletto on The Second Goodbye
"[Richards]...makes a dogged and determined heroine as she roots out cause and killer. Readers will want to see a lot more of her."
—Publishers Weekly on Outside the Wire
"...Smiley kicks off a hard-boiled series with a bang in this fast-paced novel that sweeps readers along quickly. Davie is an engaging sleuth; her tough exterior hides a fragile heart. VERDICT This classic police procedural, with the obligatory cop humor included, recalls titles by Robin Burcell or Alafair Burke."
—Library Journal on Pacific Homicide
"This is one of those high-quality plots, meaning interesting characters mixed together with technical details that, even though there are many cop books available, seem new to the eye...an excellent book."
—Suspense Magazine on Pacific Homicide
"Terrific! The classic cop story goes contemporary in this suspenseful, riveting thriller. Instantly cinematic and completely authentic—LAPD's tough and savvy Davie Richards will capture your heart. It's a page-turner from moment one."
—Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony and Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author, on Pacific Homicide
"Pacific Homicide combines an insider's knowledge of the LAPD with a clear-eyed, no-nonsense heroine and an entertaining dry wit. Davie Richards is easy to fall in love with and her story is full of surprising twists."
—Matt Witten, writer and producer for Pretty Little Liars, House, Medium, Law & Order and Homicide, on Pacific Homicide
"Patricia Smiley, at the top of her form in this multi-layered thriller . . . writes with the authenticity of Joseph Wambaugh."
—Paul Levine, bestselling author of Bum Rap, on Pacific Homicide
"Crackling with wit and suspense, Patricia Smiley's Pacific Homicide is a classic police procedural told with flair, imagination and the deep authenticity of an author who knows the LAPD from firsthand experience."
—Bonnie MacBird, author of Art in the Blood, A Sherlock Holmes Adventure, on Pacific Homicide
"Fans of the classic police procedural will love Davie Richards, the LAPD detective at the heart of this novel . . . Readers will discover Smiley's nimble talents for understated wit, unsentimental affection and the emotional wounds that drive the best of cops to buck the system in search of justice."
—Kim Fay, Edgar® Award finalist for The Map of Lost Memories, on Pacific Homicide