Arts & Events
March Mysteries and Thrillers
This month I have six mystery/thriller novels to recommend and one to avoid.
(A) The Hunter -- Tana French (Five stars)
A mystery set in a rural Irish village. The Hunter is my current candidate for “Mystery of the year.”
This is the second Tana French novel set in mythical Ardnakelty. (It’s not necessary to read the first, “The Searcher,” to understand this sequel, but it would provide background.) The setting is important, and Tana French makes the hamlet come alive.
Tana French reintroduces us to Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago cop who decided to relocate to Ardnakelty, his lover Lena, a rebellious widow, and Trey Reddy, s precocious fifteen-year girl that Cal and Lena have taken under their wing. The pace picks up when Trey’s roaming father, Johnny, returns and tries to involve the townspeople in an elaborate con. Then there’s a murder.
I’ve read most of the Tana French novels and this is the best. Everything works. The characterization is superb. The use of dialect and description is spot on. The plot is rich and absorbing. A superb novel where each page demands our attention.
(B) The Lantern’s Dance -- Laurie King (Five stars)
A mystery set (primarily) in and around Paris.
The 18th Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes novel is very satisfying. As this series unfolded, Laurie King became the keeper of the Sherlock Holmes persona, and “The Lantern’s Dance” further elaborates Sherlock’s back story.
The novel begins when Holmes and his wife, Mary Russell, show up at the residence of Holmes’ son, Damian, and find that he, his fiancé Aileen, and daughter Estelle, have fled in the aftermath of an attempted burglary. Holmes leaves to find them. Russell, incapacitated by a sprained ankle, stays behind and searches the residence for clues. She finds four ancient trunks filled with memorabilia left by Holmes granduncle, the painter Horace Vernet. Russell studies a mysterious journal whose entries are written in a sophisticated code. Because she is housebound, and bored, Russell spends days decoding the journal. What she finds tells us why Damian, and Holmes, are at risk.
“The Lantern’s Dance” may be too sophisticated for today’s mystery audience. I hope not, because the novel is a splendid addition to the Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes series.
(C) The Other Half -- Charlotte Vassell (5 stars)
A police-procedural mystery set in London.
Detective Inspector Caius Beauchamp sets out on his morning jog and stumbles over the body of beautiful Clemency (Clemmie) O’Hara. She was supposed to be attending the birthday party of her wealthy aristocratic boyfriend Rupert. Caius is assigned the case and realizes it has political complications.
There’s a second plot. Clemmie has a rival, Helena (Nell) Waddingham. Nell was Rupert’s college schoolmate and he’s madly in love with her. After Clemmie’s death, Rupert begs Nell to marry him. (The readers don’t think she should because Rupert is not a nice person.)
An ambitious mystery that includes romance and quite a bit of commentary on England’s class structure. (I’m sure I missed a significant portion of this.)
(D) Listen for the Lie -- Amy Tintera (four stars)
A mystery set in Plumpton Texas.
After five years away from her hometown, Lucy returns for her grandmother’s 80th birthday party. Lucy fled after the murder of her best friend, Savvy. Lucy was found severely injured in the area where Savvy was killed. Even though she was covered in Savvy’s blood, Lucy was never arrested for the offense because she suffered a savage head injury and can’t remember what happened. However, her (ex)husband, mother, father, and most of the townspeople think she killed Savvy.
"Listen for the Lie" could have been one more cliché “return to the scene of the unsolved murder” novel. Instead, it became a fun read because Amy Tintera has a fantastic sense of humor.
(E) A Stranger in the Family -- Jane Casey (Four stars)
A police-procedural mystery set in London.
In the 11th book in the series, DS Maeve Kerrigan investigates the murders of Helena and Bruce Marshall. 16 years before, their adopted daughter, Rosalie disappeared. To figure out who killed the Marshalls, Maeve must reopen the Rosalie investigation. Because this is a high-profile case, Maeve is part of an eight-person team led by DI Josh Derwent.
“A Stranger in the Family” has two plots: the first is the investigation into the Marshall family tragedy. The second is the relationship between Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent. The investigation plot gets 3.5 stars because it is too elaborate, and the characterizations don’t always work. The romance plot gets 5 stars because it’s very compelling. (Maeve can’t keep away from Josh even though her friends tell her it will never work.)
(F) The Second Stranger -- Martin Griffin (4 stars)
A chase thriller set in rural Scotland.
As a fierce winter storm buffets the MacKinnon Hotel, Remie Yorke starts her (night) shift as the front-desk attendant. At the height of the storm, an injured policeman, Don Gaines, knocks on the hotel door; he says he was transporting a dangerous prisoner when there was an accident and the felon escaped. Remie settles the policeman and goes back to her post. A while later, another man comes to the front door comes to the front door. He also claims to be policeman Don Gaines.
An ingenious thriller where Remie must decide which man is the real policeman and then get away from the murderous escapee.
A Novel to Avoid:
Three-Inch Teeth -- C.J. Box (Three stars)
An outdoor thriller set in Saddlestring, Wyoming.
This is the 24th Joe Pickett book and I’ve read most of them. Game-warden Joe occupies a unique position in the thriller business: he’s not really a policeman so he carries an everyman persona as he battles evildoers in the Wyoming wild. As the series has progressed, readers have gotten to know Joe, his wife Marybeth, and his three daughters, particularly Sheridan. And we’ve grown fond of his super-hero buddy, Nate Romanowski, who often rescues Joe at the last minute. An enjoyable series.
But not “Three-Inch Teeth.” The novel follows the expected route until the denouement when it goes off the rails. What happened? I’m being careful because I don’t want to give away crucial elements of the ending. “Three-Inch Teeth” has two problems: First the denouement is rushed; critical events are jammed together. Second, there is too much violence. It’s unexpected for a Joe Pickett novel and, I suspect, wildly out of place for Wyoming.
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