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Two vibrant, layered, and complex characters drive the story in this impressive book. The author deftly created them in the opening pages and immediately we know and like them. One is the Chief of Police in the upstate New York town of Millers Kill, Russ van Alstyne. The other is the newly ordained Episcopal priest Clare Ferguson in the same town. The story opens when Clare discovers a baby wrapped in blankets on the back steps of the church. There is a note saying that the parent want to give the baby up and allow a couple from the church, the Burns who have desperately been trying to adopt, to have the baby. Of course it isn't as simple as that. But two murders add complications and Russ with the sometimes unwanted help of Clare eventually sorts things out. All of the characters in this book, even the villain, are well-drawn, complex, with both faults and virtues. You feel the common humanity of villain, victim, and pursuers. This gives the book layers and intricacy that many crime novels, especially first ones as this is, lack. And Russ and Clare are captivating from the first time we meet them. Russ is ex-military, a recovering alcoholic, married to a woman who has developed a nice little home business making drapes. He is a good and careful policeman, but solving crimes must take precedence over everything else. Clare is also ex-military, a helicopter pilot. She sees the social problems and ramifications. She wants to heal, not just uncover the culprit. These differing approaches often force the two into confrontation. And the author does not fall into the trap so many do, of making this a growing romantic relationship. While there is sexual tension on both sides, Russ is married and neither of them ever forget that. The other character that dominates the book is the weather. This is upper New York state during winter. The cold is constant and mind-numbing especially for a Southern woman who has never been in such cold before. And the snow is relentless. Clare, with thin boots, a bomber jacket, and a sports car that is of little value in the snow, finds herself in a whole new world. The weather sets the book's atmosphere and creates some of its most memorable scenes. The plot is well-done and kept me guessing. Several times I thought I had figured it out and I was wrong each time. And yet the author plays fair with the reader and provides all the necessary information. This is a very well-written book. I was pulled into the story immediately and remained entranced and delighted with it. The penultimate scene contains enough tension for anybody. It was white knuckle time for certain. This book won the St. Martin's Malice Domestic contest last year and it certainly deserved to. It is a superbly written book with memorable and authentic characters and a complex plot. It takes us to a world that is believable and intriguing and filled with various shades of gray. Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Sally A. Fellows, April 2002
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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