Edna Buchanan's semi-autobiographical novel The Corpse Had a Familiar Face delivers a succulent dose of crime, mystery, whimsy and face-to-the-wind, ain't-no-kidding-around-about-it journalistic passion.
The gripping novel narrated by Buchanan herself details the gruesome, mysterious and poignant events of her 15 years working on the police beat in Miami, Florida. It's an anecdotal work that captivates the reader from the first punchy line of prose:
"It was my day off. But it was murder. Again."
Buchanan narrates the book of memoirs in a voice that clearly indicates her passion for her career. She describes working on the police beat in a no-nonsense, take-it-or-leave-it tone. Her lively descriptions of the killer-brothers both named Terrence Beecham, the 15 year old serial killer, and the handsome Australian psychopath with a fetish for beautiful, young women highlight the bizarre, musty-tinged atmosphere of the Miamian crime scene.
It is Buchanan's ardent compassion for both the victim and the convicted that indicates her unwavering devotion to her career as a journalist.
"No matter how despicable, the killer always proves to be human, someone you can identify with in some way."
Buchanan proves to be a shining example of objective journalism. In what would seem to be a horrific, demented aberration of a human being, Buchanan finds the humanity - and relates to it. In what would seem to be an 'unimportant murder,' Buchanan finds compassion for everyone - and tells each and every story to the best of her ability.
It is a memorable, personal, and passionate book of memoirs that reveals the courageous, full-throttle, live-life-on-the-edge heart and soul of its most esteemed author.
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