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TURNCOAT by Aaron Elkins William Morrow, April 2002 298 pages $24.95 ISBN: 0060197706

Say this for Aaron Elkins: when he takes a break from his highly successful Dr. Gideon Oliver (³The Skeleton Detective²) novels, he really tries hard not to plow familiar ground. Though all of his works, try in some way connect their present to the historical past Elkinsı non series novels, particularly the current TURNCOAT have more on their collective minds than hewing to plotting formula. Using war and betrayal as plotting linchpins, Elkins weds a good mystery story to historical fact and, in the process, not only spins a good yarn, but also manages to say something profound about our worldıs not-so-distant past.

TURNCOAT is set in Brooklyn, New York in 1963; beginning on the day President Kennedy is shot. Pete Simon, veteran of World War II and now a college professor, lives a quiet and satisfying life with Lily, his French war bride. Satisfying, that is, until the day not long after that Lilyıs father shows up unexpectedly at their door and his daughter, whoıd long ago told Pete her father was dead, rudely rebuffs him. Soon, Lily vanishes, leaving behind a cryptic note and her father turns up dead, seemingly the victim of an attempted robbery gone bad.

Devastated by his wifeıs sudden and unexplained disappearance and certain her fatherıs death was no accident; Pete takes off to Europe in pursuit of her. His only clue is a business card of a Barcelona antiques dealer that Pete got from Lilyıs father. Once he arrives in Europe, Pete finds that, even though it is nearly 19 years past, for many people, World War II is not yet over, particularly in France. The embarrassment of collaboration by French citizens during the war continues to haunt that nation and accusations of collaboration dog the reputation of both Lily and her dead father. As Pete struggles to find his wife, he is confronted by men who seek to punish his wife and by the question of how he feels about the truth of French collaboration in general and Lilyıs alleged betrayal of her people in particular.

The vanished lady is a common theme in modern mysteries and rarely has anyone worked it as well as Elkins does in TURNCOAT. The story of Lilyıs disappearance and discovery stands up quite well on its own that, when wedded to the larger themes that Elkins ambitiously and skillfully explores, transcends the mystery genre to become a thought-provoking piece of historical literature as well. TURNCOAT is one not to be missed.

Reviewed by Michael Grollman, December 2002

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