As a federal homicide prosecutor, Kevin Flynn is a firsthand witness to the worst of human depravity, and to the devastating impact it can have on the survivors-the family and friends who remain behind. Over time, Flynn has coped by gradually walling himself off from the ache and hopelessness he sees on those survivors' faces, distancing himself from the knowledge that, so often, their coming to terms with loss hinges largely on his bringing the killer to justice.

But that protective barrier was stripped away by Diane Hawkins and her thirteen-year-old daughter, Katrina. Diane, a single mother of six, was the undisputed magnet of a vibrant community of family and friends; at one time or another, her nieces and nephews, aunts and cousins had all called upon her, drawing on a seemingly limitless supply of compassion and optimism. All this was taken away when Diane and Katrina were mur-dered in their Washington , D.C. , home on a warm May night.

The police arrived, an investigation began, an arrest warrant was issued. A day later, one of the detectives showed up in Kevin Flynn's office and began describing the horrors of what he had seen. Flynn knew in an instant that he wanted the chance to prosecute Diane and Katrina's Killer.

And so began his journey toward justice that would culminated in a dramatic murder trial. Flynn inter-viewed police officers and forensic specialists, blood spatter experts and crime scene photographers-hardened veterans who would still remember the case in stark detail more than a decade later. He became closely involved with Diane and Katrina's family, a large, inner-city congregation of African- Americans whose faith seemed to provide true comfort and resolve.

Then, on the eve of the trial, Kevin Flynn's own life was thrown into turmoil when his father was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. As Flynn struggled to balance the demands of the case with his responsibilities only son of a dying par-ent, he found himself the beneficiary of the care and attention from this newfound community. The consideration and perspective of the friends and family of Diane and Katrina helped him through a difficult time. Moved by kindness, his resolve to win a conviction grew stronger even as his father's health deteriorated.

Relentless Pursuit is more than a dramatic moment-by-moment account of a prosecutor's life as seen through the lens of a single case: it is, above all, a story of healing and community, a story in which, in the end, the system works, and- for once-justice prevails.

KEVIN FLYNN has been a fed-eral prosecutor in Washington , D.C. , since 1987 and recently served as chief homicide prosecutor. He lives with his wife and their two children outside Washington.