"Goodnight, Irene" by Jan Burke (again)

I have embarked upon my quest to read the whole Irene Kelly series by Jan Burke in one year!  I first read Goodnight, Irene almost ten years ago -- I didn't realize it had been so long!  I'm really glad to be able to revisit these and finally finish the series.

Goodnight, Irene concerns the murder of a newspaperman, who, for decades, has been posting annually about an unsolved murder case involving an unidentified young woman.  Irene Kelly takes her old job back at the same newspaper where her murdered best friend had worked and tries to figure out how his death might be linked to that cold case he never stopped investigating.  Along the way, she meets up with an acquaintance from years ago, Detective Frank Harriman.  Their reviving friendship gives way to a hesitant new romance as they work together to uncover the truth.

I really enjoy Burke's straight-forward writing style.  She doesn't try to be fancy or literary, simply tells a good story well.  Her characters are appealing and likable, but not perfect.  And her mystery plot was top notch!  Because it's been so long since I first read this, I really didn't remember the plot at all, and I love that it was all fresh and surprising again.

Particularly Good Bits:

But how could I feel in control of my own life if all I did was run?  I had to face this head on; even if I got scared or cried or whatever -- I had to deal with it (p. 160).

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It:  R for quite a lot of bad language, some gruesome murder details, non-graphic sexual references, and some kissing.