In this 4th book in the 'Ryan DeMarco Mystery' series, the former Pennsylvania State Trooper assists the police in the investigation of a particularly brutal crime. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.
Background: Ryan DeMarco isn't a stranger to tragedy. Years ago, when Ryan was a State Trooper, he and his wife Laraine lost a child, named Ryan Jr., in a tragic car accident. Inconsolable, Laraine left her husband, and DeMarco became an ugly drunk. Now, a reformed DeMarco and his current girlfriend - former State Trooper Jayme Matson - are private consultants who work with the police.
*****
As the book opens, a horrific crime scene is discovered in a Pennsylvania forest. Two charred bodies are found in a burnt car with the body of an African-American man nearby, nailed to a tree with three Rebar rods.
Private consultants Ryan DeMarco and Jayme Matson are called in to assist the police with their investigation.
The sleuths can use the distraction because they're both in a bad place. The couple recently lost their unborn child due to a criminal assault by sociopath Daksh Khatri, who's still on the loose. Moreover, Ryan still mourns his dead son, and continues to deplore his old alcoholic behavior.
DeMarco and Matson are required to have a uniformed officer along when they canvass homes and/or interview witnesses, so they pair up with a couple of young troopers: DeMarco with Trooper Daniella Flores.....
.....and Matson with Trooper Mason Boyd.
The investigators soon turn up a couple of persons of interest: a cantankerous, smelly old man who has a couple of big sons.....
.....and a huge bald 'antiques dealer' who seems very suspicious.
While DiMarco and Matson are investigating the crime, they take several young people under their wings. These include Trooper Flores, who has anxiety issues stemming from a difficult childhood; a drug addict/prostitute who wants out of the life;
and an up-and-coming journalist who asks to follow the case.
The investigation becomes very complex before the case is solved, and some surprises come to light. I don't want to say more because of spoilers.
A highlight of the book is the adoption of a rescue dog by DiMarco and Matson.
The pooch, who immediately becomes a treasured member of the household, gets a series of temporary names until the couple hits on the exact right one. 🙂 The dog wakes up DiMarco when he has to go; sits at Jayme's feet; likes take-out food; enjoys walks; and is a very endearing fellow.
I liked the detective aspects of the story, and the solution of the case.
That said, several things about this book bother me.
◆ First, the investigation sections of the book are LIBERALLY interspersed with scenes of
DiMarco, Matson, and Flores having bad memories, sad thoughts, and anxiety attacks. DiMarco is obsessed with his abusive father, past alcoholic behavior, dead children, and estranged wife Laraine; Matson is consumed with her lost baby, which she thinks about night and day; and Flores is haunted by memories of her unhappy past. There's too much of this, and it detracts from the mystery.
◆ Second, the protagonists, especially DiMarco, are forever spouting bits of information and philosophy as well as quotes from authors, songwriters, poets, historical figures, movies, etc. These are out of context vis a vis the investigation, and seem to be thrown in to demonstrate the author's knowledge and/or research. I'll give some examples:
"Unfertilized frog eggs are round, simple, undifferentiated things. But the moment the egg is fertilized- the very moment - the egg begins to produce an electromagnetic field."
"The caduceus of Hermes....is in fact an ancient Greek alchemical symbol denoting the spine, with the pine cone-shaped top representing the pineal gland, and the two serpents, the life-force, entwined around the staff, which represents the spine."
"Confucius was asked for a single word that would ensure a good, happy life, and that was his answer: chu. It means forbearance. Tolerance and restraint. Patience and self-control."
"The song [Tupelo Honey] is about freedom. The first verse alludes to the American Revolution, the second verse to the Irish battle for independence. And the chorus is about [Van Morrison's] wife, Janet, who gives him the sweet freedom to be the best artist he can be."
"Max Planck, the father of quantum physics, had something to do with the discovery that photons and electrons sometimes behave like particles and sometimes like a wave....The experiment suggests that the observer influences, or in Planck's mind, creates reality."
◆ Third, DiMarco and Matson moon too much about their love for each other..... and about God and the soul. The philosophizing about religion takes on a preachy tone, which I don't welcome in my pleasure reading.
For me, Randall Silvis has gone off-script with this book, but it's still worth reading if you're a fan of the series.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Randall Silvis), and the publisher (Poisoned Pen Press) for a copy of the book.
Rating: 2.5 stars
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