This
is a different kind of mystery There is no suspense and no intense
action. We readers gently follow a detective with the Illinois State
Police as she works to solve a couple of cold cases.
Even
though this novel is not the type of mystery I usually enjoy, I found
it compelling reading. It centers on Evie Blackwell. She is a
dedicated detective who has taken her two week vacation to work on a
couple of cold cases in a small Illinois town. The plot consists of
following Evie as she goes through all the evidence files of decade
old missing persons, a young girl, and a family of three.
I
found two aspects of the novel interesting. One is getting to know
Evie. We learn much about her as she relates to the local sheriff and
his brothers. The other aspect is how Evie thinks through the
evidence and finds new possibilities. She is very methodical and
imaginative. Much of the novel is thinking about the cases or
discussing them. Reading the novel is like being present in the
scene. Nearly every action is described.
So
this is very much a character driven mystery. The characters in the
novel are woven well into both the present and the past. How some of
the characters deal with what is discovered is a major aspect of the
novel.
There
is one aspect of Henderson's writing style that irritates me a bit.
When characters are in dialogue, each addresses the other by name
several times in the conversation. I just do not see that regularly
happening in a short exchange.
I
recommend this book to those who enjoy a character based mystery.
You'll learn how a cold case is resurrected, discussed, and
investigated.
My
rating: 4/5 stars.
Dee
Henderson is a best selling author of a number of novels. You can
find out more at www.deehenderson.com.
Bethany
House, 400 pages.
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