HANDS OF A STRANGER by Robert Daley

Finished Tu 11/3/20... Trump-Biden Election Today 

One of my ancient paperbacks that I had never read, but I always love anything by Robert Daley. The author ran the NYC police department for a time during the 70's so his novels have a real ring of truth.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

Joe Hearn: He's newly appointed to the head of the drug enforcement division and he's on an inside track for police commissioner. However, his mindset is stuck in the 1940's.

Mary Hearn: She's tired of Joe's inattentiveness. His job and career is foremost and Mary barely is on his radar. They were deeply in love, but now their lives have grown apart and Mary has begun to feel sexual feelings for her son's baseball coach, Marty Loftus.

Judith Adler: She works for the DA's office on the rape squad and one of the first women to reach such a high place in the department. She and Joe Hearn are thrown together on the job. Judith needs men from his department to help her on some rape cases. 

THE PLOT:

Mary agrees to go to a hot sheet motel with Marty. Before they have sex they are attacked and Mary and Marty are tied up and Mary is raped. Both Mary and Marty are then the victims of blackmail. George Lyttle was working at the hotel and looking for victims. 

In the end of the book Joe intercedes and kills George Lyttle. He had Lyttle handcuffed to a pipe in the subway. Joe begins shooting his gun in frustration and 'George just got in the way of the bullet'. Hard to believe that for one second a cop would use this ridiculous excuse as a reason why it was not his fault. 

THE CONCLUSION:

Judith realizes that her sexual affair with Joe is over. He and Mary loved each other enough to shield each other from charges. They did all they could to prevent each other from being implicated. Judith takes a short vacation to the Caribbean with the intention of submitting her resignation letter, but once she gets back she realizes that the world of cops and lawyers is her destiny. 

From the book's page on Amazon:

"Judith Adler is head of the DA's rape squad. Inspector Joe Hearn heads the NYPD narcotics division. A mafia porno ring and a terrible rape bring them together. A Literary Guild selection and a four hour NBC mini series. The author gives us an excellent lead character in New York Asst. D.A. Judith Adler as she grapples with a series of rape cases. But that's not all--there's a strong emotional plot as well between Adler, Joe Hearn--a New York cop--and his wife." 

The movie is not available and was a made for TV mini series. I would watch it and I'll always keep an eye out for anything by Daley.