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SEE ALSO DECEPTION
by Larry D. Sweazy
Seventh Street Books, May 2016
270 pages
$15.95
ISBN: 1633881261


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

It's 1964, and on the plains of North Dakota, farmers and their families plan to use storm shelters to protect them from atomic bombs as well as tornadoes, they talk on party-line phones with long curled cords, and research requires a trip to the local library. In the second of the Marjorie Trumaine mysteries, Larry Sweazy captures the overall atmosphere of the times, but he also makes it very personal - as every era is. Marjorie Trumaine, farmer's wife and book indexer, may fear atomic bombs, but she's more worried about the decline of her paralyzed husband Hank's health, the suicide of her librarian friend Calla Eltmore, and whether or not it's going to rain. These problems, after all, are immediate. The threat of an atomic blast is more nebulous. But it is the nearer threats that ultimately cause Marjorie to delve into dark, small-town secrets, investigate murder, and to fear for her life.

From the moment Marjorie hears that her friend Calla has committed suicide, she's suspicious. Marjorie's indexer's mind quickly categorizes the facts, and the facts don't add up to suicide, but there are no real suspects or apparent motives for murder, either. Meanwhile, Hank ends up in the hospital unable to breathe, and Marjorie is beside herself with worry, although she does her best to hide that from the world. At Hank's insistence, Marjorie attends Calla's viewing and funeral, and little by little, suspicions build. By the time there's a second murder, Marjorie is deep in the investigation and has uncovered a suspect, but her knowledge puts both her own life and Hank's at risk.

Overall, Sweazy is a master of pacing. This story builds slowly but inevitably toward its conclusion, taking lots of time to develop Marjorie and show her day-to-day life while incrementally moving the plot forward. That's not to say the pace ever feels slow, though: there is always enough intrigue to pull it forward, and the side routes simply work to build tension. Marjorie is by far the most fully developed character, and she is believable because of it. The more minor characters get their due as well, though, so the pieces that do finally come together are credible. And while the solution may not come as a complete surprise, much of the motivation does, so there's plenty for the puzzle-solver to enjoy. Throughout the book, there are repeated references to the previous book, but nothing gives away too many secrets, and this book stands on its own well enough that you don't need to have read the first in the series to know what's going on. However, the more you get to know Marjorie Trumaine, the more you will want to know her, so you'll want to read SEE ALSO MURDER if you haven't already.

§ Meredith Frazier, a writer with a background in English literature, lives in Dallas, Texas

Reviewed by Meredith Frazier, March 2016

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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