Review of "Lady in the Lake: A Novel" by Laura Lippman

The story opens in 1966, when thirty-seven year old Maddie Morgenstern Schwartz is a beautiful Jewish housewife with an attorney husband named Milton, a teenage son called Seth, and a lovely home in a toney Baltimore neighborhood.





Many women of Maddie's generation would be happy with this life, but Maddie has ambitions for a career, so she moves out to follow her dreams.

Living in a small apartment - and barely making ends meet - Maddie decides to report her diamond ring stolen for the insurance money. This acquaints Maddie with an attractive black cop named Ferdie, with whom she embarks on a TORRID affair.






Given the racially charged times, Maddie and Ferdie's relationship is confined to Maddie's apartment save one 'date' at an Orioles game, where the duo pretend to be strangers making conversation.



While Maddie is struggling financially, an 11-year-old girl named Tessie Fine goes missing from Maddie's former Baltimore neighborhood. Maddie joins the search and stumbles on Tessie's body near her old high school make-out spot.



Afterwards, Maddie strikes up a correspondence with the prime suspect in Tessie's death, who's in jail, and unearths a clue about the crime. Maddie parlays this correspondence into a job at the Baltimore Star, assisting the consumer helpline columnist.

Maddie yearns to be a real reporter, however, and hits on a story that might be her way in. The body of a young black woman, Cleo Sherwood - who's been missing for many months - has been found in a lake in a Baltimore park. The only newspaper that features the story is the Baltimore Afro American, and the circumstances of Cleo's death remain unresolved. No one knows if it was an accident, a suicide, or a murder.....and no one is investigating.



Maddie sees this as an opportunity. She wants to look into Cleo's death and write a story, but the Star's editor says no one wants to read about the death of a black woman - especially a black woman like Cleo, who worked in a nightclub and had a dubious reputation. Nevertheless, Maddie persists. She speaks to Cleo's parents, the Sherwoods; visits the psychic the Sherwoods' consulted about their missing daughter; and goes to the nightclub where Cleo worked. This irks the nightclub owner, a criminal in the prostitute and drug business. Maddie also discovers the identity of the rich married man Cleo was seeing, and intrudes into his life. Maddie's actions are beyond foolhardy, but she seems oblivious.



Most of the book is narrated by two characters: Maddie and Cleo's ghost. Maddie's narrative ranges from her youth to her adulthood, and she reveals a life-altering secret from her past. In Cleo's sections, the woman addresses Maddie directly, and brags about her own good looks.....her green eyes and straight nose and enticing figure.



Cleo also talks about her beautiful clothes, her children, her parents, her aspirations, her need for a rich man; and her annoyance at Maddie's inquiries into her death.

Additional commentators include a journalist; a bartender; a waitress; a young boy; a young girl; a baseball player; an African-American policewoman; and more.



As the story unfolds, we get a feel for the racist segregated Baltimore of the mid-twentieth century, where women and people of color struggled to get ahead.



Black police officers, for example, didn't get patrol cars or radios, and had to use call boxes to communicate with the police station.



And women journalists were almost non-existent.



We also get a peek at Maddie's Jewish culture, with her kosher home; dual sets of dishes, versions of choreset (a Passover food) and chopped liver; Jewish mother 😊; and the eruv (wire boundary) that encloses some Jewish communities for religious reasons.



By the end we know what happened to Cleo Sherwood, what happened to Tessie Fine, and a lot more. 😲

I admire Maddie for having the strength to defy the old-fashioned traditions of her community and family, and to strive for a fulfilling career. I also applaud Cleo's determination to improve conditions for herself and her sons. In fact most of the characters (except for the out and out criminals) demonstrate admirable qualities as they deal with the everyday problems of life.

I'd recommend the book to fans of literary mysteries and historical novels. 

Rating: 4 stars 

Review of "Her Last Breath: A Police Chief Kate Burkholder Mystery" by Linda Castillo

In this 5th book in the 'Kate Burkholder' series, the Police Chief investigates a hit and run. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the series is a plus.

*****



In the Amish region of Ohio an Amish man and two of his children are killed in a hit and run incident and Chief of Police Kate Burkholder (formerly Amish) investigates. I enjoyed the book very much up until the end which I thought was overly contrived and not believable.

I also wish the issue of Daniel Lapp's death (killed by Kate when she was 14) would get resolved already. It comes up in every book and in this story feels like it's tacked on just for form's sake.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Nine Elms: A Kate Marshall Thriller" by Robert Bryndza

This is the first book in Robert Bryndza's new 'Kate Marshall' series. Bryndza is also the author of the popular 'Detective Erika Foster' crime novels. ***** In 1995 Detective Constable Kate Marshall of London's Metropolitan Police Service is on the team searching for the 'The Nine Elms Cannibal' - a serial killer who bites chunks from the teenage girls he murders. The killer's fourth victim was just found, and like the other dead girls, has a rope around her neck with a monkey's fist knot. Kate's boss, and occasional lover, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Conway drives her to the crime scene and home, and accidentally drops a set of keys into her shopping bag. At home, Kate finds the keys, which are attached to a rope tied with a monkey's fist knot. Holy crap! DCI Conway is the Nine Elms Cannibal! Conway comes back for his keys, and realizing he's been exposed, almost kills Kate before she clocks him and calls 999. Kate is savaged during Conway's trial because she slept with him, and she subsequently loses her career, gives birth to Conway's son, and starts drinking heavily. ***** Jump ahead fifteen years to 2010 and cannibal Peter is in a prison for the criminally insane. Kate is a recovering alcoholic who teaches criminology at a university in Ashdean, on the south coast of England. Kate's drinking made her an unsuitable mother, and Kate's (and Conway's) 14-year-old son Jake lives with Kate's mum in London. Kate and Jake skype frequently, though, and see each other on school holidays. Kate frets about Jake being the child of a serial killer because the boy may have inherited bad genes. Moreover, though Peter is forbidden to contact Jake now, he may try to get in touch when his son comes of age at sixteen. Kate and her mum try to protect Jake by curtailing his access to social media, but their attempts aren't completely successful. Aside from worrying about Jake, Kate's life is going well. She likes to swim in the ocean; gets along well with her Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor Myra, who lives next door; and relishes her teaching job, where she talks about real cases. In an ironic coincidence, Kate's school presentation about her brush with 'The Nine Elms Cannibal' is immediately followed by an email from the parents of a girl named Caitlyn Murray, who disappeared twenty years ago, at the age of sixteen. The Murrays have come to believe their daughter was an early victim of Peter Conway, and they ask Kate to look for Caitlyn's remains.....so they can bury her. At about the same time, the police become aware that a copycat cannibal, who calls himself a 'A FAN' of Peter Conway, has begun to mimic his hero's crimes. The copycat abducts teenage girls, bites and kills them, and leaves them in dump sites similar to those used by his idol. Kate and her 21-year-old university assistant, Tristan Harper, start to look into Caitlyn's disappearance, and their investigation inevitably overlaps the copycat case. This annoys Detective Chief Inspector Varia Campbell, who's in charge of the copycat inquiries, and she tries to freeze Kate and Tristan out. However, Kate and Tristan discover helpful clues, and - with a nudge from DCI Campbell - call themselves private detectives, have cards printed up, and jump into the copycat probe. (This is a bit dubious, since private detectives in England need to be licensed.) Kate is so disturbed by the search for Caitlyn - and the grisly copycat murders - that she's tempted to drink.....which would scuttle her entire life. The book switches back and forth between the detectives' investigations; Peter Conway's activities in prison; and the actions of the copycat killer. We come to learn that the copycat is able to contact Peter via his mother Enid, who's permitted to visit her son without a glass barrier. Enid is a seductive, well-preserved woman who'd do anything for her beloved son.....with whom she has a disturbing relationship. (Once again this is highly questionable. Enid is strip-searched by prison guards multiple times, but they allow her to bring in bags of sweets THAT GO UNCHECKED. And when Enid's 'hearing aid' mysteriously switches ears - which is noted by a prison guard - it doesn't trigger alarm bells. Are we supposed to believe this?) Peter is angry at Kate for unmasking him 15 years ago, and he plots all kinds of revenge. Peter is aided in this endeavor by the copycat, who is hatching a sinister plot. In the meantime, the copycat is happily abducting and killing girls, and the torture he inflicts is described in lurid detail. So if you're squeamish, this isn't the book for you. For me this thriller is just so-so. The story is engaging, but there are too many unlikely details.....and the relationship between Peter and Enid is batshit crazy. It's hard to believe that someone as disturbed as Peter could have functioned normally and risen to the rank of DCI. On the upside, the characters are interesting, and the copycat's plan - though it stretches credibility - is inventive. I'd probably read the next book in the series, in hopes that the kinks are worked out. Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Robert Bryndza), and the publisher (Thomas & Mercer) for a copy of the book. Rating: 3 stars

Review of "The Battered Badge: A Nero Wolfe Mystery" by Robert Goldsborough

Nero Wolfe is a legendary fictional private investigator created by Rex Stout. When Stout died, the series was continued by Robert Goldsborough. This is the 13th Nero Wolfe book by Goldsborough, and - like the rest of the series - can be read as a standalone.

*****

Nero Wolfe is an eccentric, obese private detective who lives and works in a brownstone in New York City in the mid-1900s. Wolfe almost never leaves his house; spends four hours a day tending his orchids; has a chef who prepares delicious gourmet meals; loves beer; and would rather read books than take new cases.



Wolfe employs Archie Goodwin as his assistant, legman, and gadfly - a smartmouth who prods Wolfe to 'go to work' when the bank account is running low.



When Wolfe's investigations encroach on those of the police, which happens frequently, Wolfe can expect a visit from Inspector Lionel T. Cramer - head of NYPD homicide. Though Cramer generally has bitter complaints about Wolfe's 'interference', he almost always benefits from Wolfe's inquiries.



Now Inspector Cramer himself is in trouble. A man named Lester Pierce, executive director of the 'Good Government Group' (GGG) - a watchdog organization that has harshly criticized Cramer - was gunned down in the street.....and Cramer has been put on administrative leave. In Cramer's place is Captain George Rowcliff, a spiteful boob whom Wolfe and Archie can't stand.



Though Wolfe would MUCH prefer to have Cramer back as head of homicide, he considers it imprudent to interfere in the Pierce investigation, or do anything else to help his 'frenemy.' Still, when rumors surface that Pierce's killing was a mob hit, Wolfe quietly dispatches one of his most reliable free-lance operatives, Saul Panzer, to make enquiries.



Saul gets roughed up by thugs and ends up hospitalized, and Wolfe goes on the warpath.

Wolfe is now determined to find out who killed Pierce....and who hurt Saul. Thus Saul and another free-lance private eye called Fred Durkin are dispatched to make inquiries, and Archie is sent to interview people who knew Pierce. These include:

- Pierce's widow Audra - who isn't especially grief-stricken;



- Pierce's adult children Malcolm, Marianne, and Mark - who insist the mob killed their dad;



- Roland Marchbank - Pierce's colleague, who expects to take over as executive director of GGG;



- And Laura Cordwell - Pierce's extramarital lover, who ALSO expects to take over as executive director of GGG.



As he's going about his work, Archie gets a good many tips from Lon Cohen, editor of The New York Gazette, whose job keeps him well-informed about criminal activities in New York City.



Amidst the questioning and re-questioning of persons of interest, Wolfe, Archie, and others do a lot of speculating about why (or why not) the mob would kill Pierce, and who else might have wanted him dead. In the end, all the suspects are gathered together and the truth is revealed.

This is a typical plot for a Nero Wolfe book, but it doesn't quite work this time. Normally, Archie persuades (or bullies) people to come to Wolfe's office, so the brilliant detective can question the suspects himself. This doesn't happen, and Wolfe is pretty much distanced from the action....relying mostly on the reports of others.

There's also a lot of blather about vocabulary, with the characters congratulating each other (and themselves) if they use 'hard words' (such as dalliance, for example). This is condescending, and if it's supposed to be funny, it doesn't succeed. Moreover, Archie doesn't exhibit his usual hilarious wisecracking, which normally adds a nice element of humor to the books.

It's always fun to visit with the recurring characters in the series, and I enjoyed the novel from that perspective. Archie and Wolfe eat lots of delicious meals;



Wolfe argues with his chef Fritz about what spices to use;



Wolfe decorates his desk with orchid racemes;



Archie goes out with his long-time girlfriend Lily Rowan;



Archie jokes about playing poker with his buddies; etc.



The book was fine from that perspective.....but the story itself, not so much. I hope Goldsborough ups his game in future books.

Rating: 3 stars 

Review of "The Accursed: A Gothic Novel" by Joyce Carol Oates

 

This book - a (pseudo) historical, supernatural, mystery horror story - is supposedly written by M.W. van Dyck, descendant of one of the most prominent families of Princeton, New Jersey.


Princeton circa 1905

Claiming to have access to newly decoded journals and other materials available only to himself van Dyck unspools the story of the "Crosswicks Curse" that took a horrific toll on some wealthy, influential Princeton families in 1905 and 1906.



The first conspicuous manifestation of the curse occurs when pretty, young Annabel Slade absconds from her elaborate wedding immediately after exchanging marriage vows with handsome Lieutenant Dabney Bayard.



The man she runs off with, Axson Mayte, is in town (purportedly) advising Woodrow Wilson - then President of Princeton University.

Annabel's brother Josiah Slade, a Princeton graduate who can't quite seem to find his role in life, relentlessly pursues the runaways.



Meanwhile, Annabel is trapped in a filthy, hidden castle called the 'Bog Kingdom' - where she's abused, starved, impregnated, and eventually reduced to the status of a slovenly cleaning woman alongside previous Mayte victims.



Mayte has no fixed appearance, looking tall and handsome to some and ugly and toadlike to others.





Thus the wily Mayte is able to appear in different guises - including François D’Apthorp and Count English von Gneist - a great favorite with the snobby ladies of Princeton. Mayte is apparently able to exert a hypnotic effect on people, manipulating their thoughts and behavior.



Mayte's most amusing incarnation occurs when he appears as Sherlock Holmes to Pearce van Dyck (the narrator's father) who's convinced that Sherlock Holmes' "cases" - which he believes are real - hold the key to the mystery of the Curse.



The elder van Dyck's compulsive analysis of the Curse using Holmes' work as a guide are the funniest parts of the book. 😊

Soon after Annabel Slade disappears her pre-teen cousins Todd and Oriana Slade are also afflicted by the Curse as are other important Princeton families. Several husbands become obsessed with the notion that their wives are committing adultery, with unfortunate consequences and a woman decides that her newborn's 'deliberate misbehavior' requires a drastic solution.



Reverend Winslow Slade, who was previously President of Princeton University and Governor of New Jersey is especially disturbed by the Curse because he's grandfather to Annabel, Josiah, Todd, and Oriana, as well as friend and counselor to other afflicted families. Moreover, the Reverend has a shameful secret that's haunted him for five decades.



The book is very long, incorporating a number of historic figures. These include grossly obese (former) President Grover Cleveland, who tries to jump out a window after seeing his daughter's ghost, but he's too fat to fit (ha ha ha);


President Grover Cleveland

Jack London, famous author of adventure stories - who flaunts his mistress at a speaking engagement, then has a pub party and gets wildly drunk;


Jack London and a lady friend

Upton Sinclair, the painfully self-conscious author of "The Jungle" (which exposes the horrific practices of the meat industry) - who neglects his family and dreams of establishing a socialist colony in New Jersey;


Upton Sinclair

President Teddy Roosevelt, who invites the vegetarian Sinclair to an uncomfortable meat-filled lunch;


President Teddy Roosevelt

And of course Woodrow Wilson - who has a plethora of health problems and an ongoing feud with Andrew Fleming West, Dean of Princeton's Graduate School.


Woodrow Wilson


Andrew Fleming West

During the story Wilson, happily married with several daughters, also becomes victim to the Curse when he's bewitched by a beautiful woman.

True to the time period, many of the characters exhibit (what would now be considered) atrocious behavior including rampant racism, sexism, opposition to women's suffrage, disdain for immigrants, disregard for the suffering of the 'lower classes', and way too high an opinion of themselves. 😝

By the end of the book the Curse has run it's course and the reader learns what it was all about in a satisfying conclusion. For me the book was overly long and spent too much time on ancillary characters like Jack London - whose speech to a socialist group and subsequent partying seemed to go on forever; and Upton Sinclair - whose personal life and socialist musings took up too many pages. Still, these are fairly minor quibbles about a book that's well-researched, well-written, and a rollicking good story.

I'd highly recommend the book to readers who enjoy Gothic literary fiction. 

Rating: 4 stars