Trick of the Dark

[This book is presently available only in/through the UK and Canada, not available in the US at this time]

As the book opens, Dr. Charlotte [“Charlie”] Flint finds her professional life as a forensic psychiatrist in tatters, her reputation destroyed, and awaiting a hearing by the General Medical Council to will decide whether or not she can be reinstated as an expert in her field.

Magdalene [“Magda”] Newsam, a pediatric oncologist, is a 28-year-old woman whose husband was killed on their wedding night, attending the trial of her husband’s partners for his murder.  One of the two hubs of this book is Magda’s mother, Corinna Newsam, who was Charlie’s tutor while an undergraduate at St. Scholastika’s College, Oxford University, which is the other point around which all else revolves. Each of the characters’ ties to Corinna and Oxford have shaped their lives to this point.  As is the case also with Jay Stewart, wildly successful businesswoman in the throes of writing her second memoir following her first bestseller, the point of view throughout the book variously that of the three younger women.

Corinna asks Charlie to investigate whether, as she suspects, Jay Stewart had something to do with her son-in-law’s death, mostly due to the fact that Jay is now romantically involved with Magda.  Seeking redemption, Charlie agrees. As the solution drew near, the feeling that I knew what lay ahead didn’t diminish the suspense or the intricacy of the plot.  And, of course, I was completely wrong in my expectations.

Few of the characters in the book are male; few of the romantic relationships/entanglements are heterosexual, a fact noteworthy only in the prejudices thereby aroused in others which are essential to the plot.  The novel, though somewhat lengthy, is an absorbing and worthy addition to Ms. McDermid’s past novels, and is recommended.

Reviewed by Gloria Feit, November 2010.

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Thirteen Hours
Deon Meyer
Translated by K. L. Seegers
Atlantic Monthly Press, 2010
ISBN 978-0-8021-1958-2
Hardcover

Post-Apartheid South Africa has undergone many traumatic changes.  But for homicide detective Benny Griessel, nothing much changes except for the murder victims, the politics, unsettled race relations and his own personal problems.  Benny is saddled with “mentoring” newly promoted black or “colored” detectives.  Of course, he is the only experienced white.

The plot involves two murders and a kidnapping, each a potential PR disaster for the SA government.  It is up to Benny and his untested troops to save a captive American girl who witnessed the murder of her fellow tourist. Meanwhile, a well-known music executive is found shot in his home with his pistol lying at his feet, his alcoholic wife
asleep in a chair.

Deon Meyer has written six novels and Thirteen Hours is probably the best (not taking anything away from its predecessors).  It is taut, moving and deeply memorable, and is highly recommended.

Reviewed by Gloria Feit, November 2010.

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The Immortals
J.T. Ellison
MIRA Books, 2010
ISBN 978-0-7783-2763-9
Mass Market Paperback

This newest entry in the Taylor Jackson series could be termed a procedural with a twist.  It includes elements of the occult: Goth, Wicca, Satanic and Pagan rituals and beliefs.  In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit that in general, “woo woo” is not my favorite genre.  This novel, however, does not ask readers to believe in the occult, merely to accept that there are those that do.  And on that basis, I had no problem with it at all.  More to the point, I found it equally as enjoyable as the earlier books in this series, of which this is the fifth.

All events transpire over a four-day period, beginning, significantly, on October 31st [usually known as Halloween or, if one follows the occult, Samhain, which is the Wiccan New Year.]  As the book opens, Taylor Jackson has just been reinstated as a Lieutenant in the Nashville Metro Police Department, heading up the Murder Squad.  The squad assembles hurriedly when there are reports of multiple victims and multiple crime scenes, at least seven dead in five different houses, all victims between fourteen and eighteen years of age.  The persons responsible seem to be the eponymous, if self-styled, Immortals.  Is this, as it starts to appear, a case of vampires and witches running amok in Nashville, Tennessee?

Paralleling this investigation in the novel is one that revolves around events which began in June of 2004 with the discovery of the fifth victim of what the media dubs The Clockwork Killer, which involved Dr. John Baldwin, Supervisory Special Agent and Taylor’s fiancé, and which he must revisit when a hearing into the matter is being held at FBI headquarters at Quantico.  In each case, the present and the past, there is an inherent threat of further loss of young lives, both aspects of the book equally suspenseful.  [I couldn’t help but note that Dr. Baldwin displays good taste in writers, reading a copy of a John Connolly book in one scene.]  The occult aspect becomes just another part of the background and not a deterrent to this reader’s enjoyment of the book.  As is pointed out to Taylor, “Everyone needs something to believe in.  Pagans just look to things that are a bit more tangible than what you and I are aware of.”  The Immortals, as were the other books in the series, is recommended.

Reviewed by Gloria Feit, November 2010.

Fever of the Bone

Val McDermid‘s latest Carol Jordan/Tony Hill novel more than lives up to the expectations raised by the previous books in the series.  DCI Carol Jordan now heads up her own elite Major Incident Team, handling current as well as cold cases, but the status quo is threatened by the new chief constable, as is the team’s consulting arrangement with Dr.
Tony Hill, clinical psychologist and criminal profiler extraordinaire. The tale covers a series of horrendous murder/mutilations of young, seemingly unconnected victims, and an old case into which new life [so to speak] has been infused.  Newly available lines of investigation, of course, in both forensics and information technology, play a large role.  In the current case, not the least of the questions is, what possible motivation could there be in the killing and mutilation of 14-year-olds?

There are few straight lines in the narrative, with scenes alternating from one aspect of the story line to another, but somehow that works to only increase the suspense quotient.  The portraits of Carol’s team members are well-drawn, with each having a distinct personality and set of talents.  I found it fascinating to get inside the head of Tony Hill, a man who is troubled by his own psyche, but whose expertise lies in his ability to get inside of the head of the person whose identity he is hunting.  The intimate [albeit chaste] relationship of Jordan and Hill is, as always, a thing of beauty and wholly satisfying to the reader [if not always to the participants].  The novel is tightly plotted, the writing containing some small gems, e.g., “offer[ing] up information . . . in the spirit of a dog dropping a soggy newspaper at the feet of its human,” and, speaking of an outgoing phone message, “his phone greeting sounded astonished and wary, as if he was taken aback by a ringing piece of plastic that spoke when you lifted it.”

Ms. McDermid manages to find just the right turn of phrase to perfectly capture a mood, or an emotion, often bringing a smile or a nod in the process. Parenthetically, I found intriguing that the number 14 runs through the book in several contexts.  Refreshingly, the cases are ultimately solved through no sudden [read 'unrealistic'] flashes of brilliance, but by painstaking police work, “old-fashioned coppering,” in the author’s words.  The book is highly recommended.  [The title, in case you were wondering, derives from a T.S. Elliot poem.]

Reviewed by Gloria Feit, November 2010.

Crossfire

This is the fourth work completed by Dick Francis and his son, and it certainly lives up the standards the late author set in a long and distinguished career until his death last February.  As did the more than 40 novels Dick Francis wrote, it takes as its milieu the Britishhorse-racing scene.

Captain Tom Forsyth, who left his mother’s home (and horse-training stables) at the age of 17 to join the army, returns after losing his foot to an IED in Afghanistan, only to find that his mother is in some kind of trouble.  She is being blackmailed to the tune of 2,000 pounds a week and is also being forced to make sure that her horses lose important races.  It falls to Tom to sort out the culprits, solve his mother’s business problems, and find his way into the future despite his physical condition.

Crossfire is a tale with the trademark Francis touch, carefully constructed, poignantly written and sensitive, especially with regard to observations of the trials and difficulties of being a soldier (demonstrated throughout by references to Tom’s past posts as well as the skills he learned as applied to his present endeavors), and it is highly recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, October 2010.

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The Queen of Patpong
Timothy Hallinan
William Morrow, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-06-167226-2
Hardcover

While its predecessors in this delightful series set in Thailand focused on all the trouble in which Poke Rafferty could find himself, this novel is exclusively the property of his wife, Rose.  As readers of the previous entries have learned, Rose was a bar girl (i.e., dancer and prostitute) before meeting and marrying Poke. And as most know, that is a dangerous profession.

While the domestic side of the novel includes Poke’s participation in a school production of “The Tempest,” in which his adopted daughter, Miaow, stars as Ariel, the dangerous aspect of the plot arises from Rose’s past.  This gives the author the opportunity to accomplish two objectives.  First, of course, is to show the miserable lives and inherent dangers of the life of a bar girl.  Second is to force Poke to really face Rose’s past and come to grips with its meanness and horrors.

The recounting of Rose’s life is poignant and sensitive, and the various characters in her life are skillfully drawn. Descriptions of Patpong Street and Bangkok and the strip joints and bars are graphic. The suspense builds and builds.

Recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, September 2010.

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Dog Tags
David Rosenfelt
Grand Central Publishing, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-446-55152-6
Hardcover

This legal-thriller-cum-amusing-background series, featuring the talented but not so enthusiastic defense attorney Andy Carpenter, once again demonstrates his love of canines.  The plot starts off with Andy representing a German shepherd, Milo, being held in the dog pound under police guard, with Andy seeking a bail hearing.  It seems that the dog is owned by Billy Zimmerman, an ex-cop who lost his leg while serving in Iraq and is now accused of murder.  In fact, Andy gets to represent both master and dog before it’s all over.

Bad Boy

Murphy’s Law seems to apply to the premise behind this novel.  After a well-earned vacation touring the U.S. Southwest and the wonders of LA and San Francisco, DI Banks finds, upon his return to Eastvale, that an old friend has died after police tasered him, Banks’ daughter is missing, and everything is in an uncontrolled mess.

It starts when a former neighbor of Banks discovers a gun which had been hidden by her daughter in her bedroom when visiting her parents. The mother visits the police station hoping to discuss the situation with Banks who, unfortunately, is still away.  When the police raid the house, the woman’s husband dies of a heart attack after the
aforementioned taser incident; Banks’ daughter, Tracy, infatuated with man who owned the gun (the “bad boy” of the title) warns him of the police inquiries and hides him in her father’s cottage.  And from that point on, as Banks returns, everything goes downhill.

The chase begins with Tracy’s status changing from willing lover to hostage, and Banks and the rest of the police force struggling with the lack of clues as to where the fugitive and his captive are.  As usual, Banks doesn’t always play by the rules.  But then, neither does the bad boy.  Another well-written and off-beat story in the series, and highly recommended.

Reviewed by Ted Feit, October 2010.

[This book is presently available only in/through the UK and Canada, not available in the US at this time]

D.I Tom Thorne is one among the outstanding protagonists in the crime genre who doggedly solve murders and other mysteries while questioning their own talents, motivations and personalities, often to their own detriment.  He, like many of the others, criticizes himself, albeit unnecessarily, because he, and they, do achieve success.

We see Thorne agonizing over the court’s findings when it frees an accused murderer he and everyone else is convinced is guilty. Key to the innocent verdict is the fact that there is no body.  But there is no time to worry about the case before another arises to occupy Thorne: a 10-year-old case that just won’t disappear.

Donna Langford has just been released from prison after serving a sentence for having hired a hit man to murder her husband.  Then she begins to receive photos of a man she says is that same husband.  When she learns that her daughter has vanished, she can only conclude her husband is responsible, and she employs a private detective, Anna Carpenter, to investigate.  Anna approaches Thorne and together they begin to work the case, setting off all kinds of repercussions which may be engineered by a man who is supposed to be dead but is perhaps intent on preserving a reconstructed life.

Once again, the author has written a deep police procedural with significant insights into the characters.  While the investigation is hampered by the craftiness of the “dead” husband and roadblocks he throws in Thorne’s way, he plods on doggedly, just in character.  Written with smoothness and urbanity, the plot moves forward in unexpected ways.  Recommended.

Reviewed by Theodore Feit

It’s not often that a homicide detective receives a picture of a victim prior to the murder, but that’s exactly what happens to TomThorne in this latest volume in the series, when his cell phone rings
and he opens it to see a photo.  And it happens more than once.  A connection occurs after the second victim is identified and Thorne discovers that the murderer is a recently released man named Marcus
Brooks, who had learned that his girlfriend and his son were killed deliberately in a hit-and-run accident two weeks before he was to be released from prison after serving seven years for the killing of a bike gang leader.

Thorne has to balance the capture of Brooks with several other pressures, including his relationship with his own girlfriend, the death of his father, possible connections between bike gangs and the Turkish mafia, drug and other illicit activities, and an investigation by Internal Affairs.

It is a long story, but an absorbing one, with the plot(s) moving forward at a steady pace.  Thorne is depicted on a basic human level, with all the doubts and wonders inherent in a person.  As police procedurals go, Death Message is not so much a step-by-step investigation as it is an insight into the detective’s mind and ability to weigh alternatives, especially in his own ethos and life.

Recommended.

Reviewed by Theodore Feit, September 2010.

When teenager Jennifer Maidment is murdered and mutilated, Tony Hill, criminal profiler, is called to Worcester to help with the case.  It is revealed that Jennifer and her friends are fans of the social network Rigmarole.  Jennifer left her friend to meet with someone she had connected with on Rigmarole and was not seen again alive.  The person Jennifer went to meet is known as ZZ.  Jennifer is the first teenager to disappear but she will not be the last.

Meanwhile back in Bradfield, Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan is still heading up the Major Incident Unit but has been put on notice by the new Chief Constable that her team is on a three month trial and at the end of the three months, there might be major changes in the unit.  The Chief Constable also informs Jordan that Tony Hill is too expensive and if a profiler is necessary, she needs to request one from the newly trained profiling unit.

A teen-aged boy is reported missing in Jordan’s district.   The boy’s body is found and he has been victimized in the same manner of Jennifer Maidment. The boy also has a connection to Rigmarole and has a special friend on the network who goes by just initials.   Tony and Carol are both investigating along the same lines but unable to share information with each other.

They are both beginning to believe that there is a violent killer using the social network to attract victims and kill in a way that is very gruesome as well as puzzling.  As the victim list gets larger, the two are finally able to put their findings together and go after a killer who is unlike any they have come across before.

While trying to track down the killer, both Tony and Carol are also working on finding out more about Tony’s father.  Tony has just recently learned the name of his father and received an inheritance from him.  The hunt for the killer takes front and center but the back-story regarding Tony’s family adds an interesting element. Fever of the Bone is the best Val McDermid novel I’ve read to date.

Reviewed by Patricia E. Reid, July 2010.

Flavia de Luce, an eleven-year-old with a near-genius mind, apparently has way too much time, and too much curiosity, for a child who is benignly neglected by her father and ignored, at best, by her disdainful and tormenting older sisters. When we first encounter her in The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag, she is prostrate in the Bishop’s Lacey village churchyard, imagining her own funeral in all its glory, but is distracted by the sound of a crying woman.  The woman is Nialla, assistant to a nationally known puppeteer, Rupert Porson, and their van has broken down in the village.

While their van is being repaired, Rupert and Nialla find temporary quarters with a local family and Rupert agrees to put on a show of  “Jack and the Beanstalk” for the village.  Rupert claims to have never met the host family before but one of his puppets bears an uncanny resemblance to the family’s child who died in mysterious circumstances several years earlier.  Later, Rupert is killed in a questionable way and Flavia begins to wonder if the two deaths are connected.  Abandoning her current chemical experiments, including the dastardly poisoning of a box of chocolates intended for her sister, she and her trusty bicycle, Gladys, are off on the hunt.  (One of the funniest scenes in the book takes place when Flavia must retrieve the chocolates before the wrong person eats them.)

Canadian author Alan Bradley is a mystery in himself—how does a middle-aged man do so well at evoking the charm and ferocious brilliance of this young girl?  The first book won quite a few awards and this second entry in the series  is no slouch itself.  I only wish we didn’t have to wait so long for the next one, A Red Herring Without Mustard, due in March 2011.

Flavia de Luce is my favorite sleuth these days, hands down.  When I first met her last year in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, I thought the author had created a wonderful character, one who could appeal to nearly all types of mystery readers, not to mention non-mystery readers who just like a really good story.  Throw in a large dash of humor and you’ve got a winner.  Best of all, Flavia is a terrific introduction to mysteries for the  younger reader and, as a bonus, they can learn a little about post-World War II England.  This one’s in my Top Five for 2010.

Much of my reading is by way of audio editions and I’ve become downright picky about the narrators.   This is the second of three I’ve listened to that’s read by Jayne Entwistle and I wish she had more.  In both of the Flavia books, Ms. Entwistle IS Flavia and I really can’t imagine any other voice for her .  An already wonderful book is made even more delightful by the right narrator and, in this case, Jayne Entwistle is it.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, May 2010.

The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag

Flavia de Luce is an odd duck, there’s just no getting around that.  She’s odd in ways that speak to the insecure in most people: she contemplates her funeral, she believes that nobody cares for her, she is curious about things that others have no interest in (at least nobody she knows).  She’s mischievous, sly, intelligent, and sometimes malicious.  She’s
also young enough not to realize, at least sometimes, the long-term consequences of her actions.

In HANGMAN’S BAG, Flavia once again helps Inspector Hewitt.  He is less reluctant to listen to Flavia this time around.  Her perceptions are insightful, her grasp of nuance fine.  So when Rupert Porson, master puppeteer, is electrocuted, Hewitt believes Flavia when she tells him it was not an accident.

There are undercurrents in Bishop’s Lacey that Flavia is aware of but doesn’t comprehend all the ramifications of, at least not entirely.  It is obvious that Rupert has been in Bishop’s Lacey before; one of his puppets is the spitting image of a young boy who died several years before.  There must be some connection, but what?

Bradley has, once again, captured the essence of rural England right after WWII.  Flavia has an innocence that would be impossible today, and a precociousness that would express itself far differently in our world.  The family dynamics of the de Luce’s is enough to make one’s teeth itch.  All in all, a delightful read.  Book three in the series can’t come soon enough.

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren, March 2010.

A Country Affair

A Country Affair
Rebecca Shaw
Three Rivers Press, 2006
ISBN 1400098203
Trade Paperback

I’m an addict when it comes to the heartwarming sort of small town story, the kind that involves a large cast of characters living unremarkable lives but you can’t help wanting to know what’s going to happen next.  You know the kind of books I mean, Jan Karon’s Mitford, Ann B. Ross’s Miss Julia, Thomas Kinkade’s Cape Light, Jennifer Chiaverini’s Elm Creek Quilts.  The geographical setting doesn’t matter too much, although I prefer North America or the UK and, if animals are involved, I like it even more.  James Herriot is one of my favorite writers and I never tire of his Yorkshire Dales veterinarian stories so, when I came across this book, I settled down for what I was sure would be a comfortable read.  It didn’t quite  make it but it came close.

Kate Howard has just taken a job as a receptionist in a large veterinary practice in Barleybridge, a picture-postcard English village where life is generally charming.  Most of the novel revolves around the doings of the people, not so much about the animals, and I missed that.   I didn’t like all the characters but that’s okay as it would be a bit too sappy if everybody was likable.  Still,  one of the vets commits a fairly cowardly act and Kate herself is a tad too naive.  I reminded myself, though, that she’s just nineteen so she’s allowed to be a bit immature.

I didn’t dislike this book but I didn’t wholeheartedly like it either.  Rebecca Shaw is a bestselling author in England so I’ll be reading the next in the trilogy to see if Kate and everybody else in the village will grow on me.

Recommended with reservations.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, November 2009.