Is it possible that two similar execution style murders occurring fifteen years apart are related?

Genoa Greeves was a little different from the others in school. She was what you might call a "nerd". The one person she always remembered from school was her favorite teacher, Bennett Alston Little. He had a talk with Genoa and told her she would do very well one day.

Dr. Little was murdered. His body was found in the trunk of a Mercedes and all indications pointed to the fact that this crime was carried out execution style. Dr. Little's death was something that Genoa never really got over. The killer was never found.

Genoa is now a billionaire who owns a successful company. One day while reading the paper, she noticed that music producer Primo Ekerling was the victim of an execution style murder. Genoa had an eerie feeling since Ekerling's murder was very similar to the execution of Dr. Little. Could there be a connection?

Dr. Little's case is now a "cold case" and Genoa offered the LAPD a very large donation. She figured it would help make them reopen Dr. Little's case. Well, her donation did help.

Lt. Peter Decker is assigned to the case. He is not too thrilled that a rich woman can make the police department do what she wants but at the same time he even wonders if there is a possible connection between the two murders.

Is Lt. Decker successful at finding out if the two cases are related and once and for all putting to rest the case of Dr. Little?

Faye Kellerman is a master at work in this novel. She always does a great job with the police procedural investigations. The author starts the book with the character Genoa who herself seems kind of mysterious to the reader. Genoa appears at the beginning of the book and does not return again until a little later on. Kellerman does an excellent job with the descriptions of the characters.

The story is well plotted and moves at a good pace. There is much going on between the characters that will keep the reader busy and the ending will be a surprise. I was a little disappointed that Rina did not play a big role in The Mercedes Coffin but nonetheless this is still an excellent read.