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You know the kind of book that you want to rush through because you just have to know what happens next, but then you donšt want it to end so you make excuses to quit reading for a little bit? Thatšs the kind of suspense novel The Devilšs Bed is. In a departure for Krueger who has written mysteries centering northern Minnesota, this is a political thriller perhaps as accurate as the world in which we live. David Clay Dixon of Colorado is President of the United States. Katherine Jorgenson Dixon is the first lady and perhaps the key to his reelection victory. Without her he may not win reelection. His father, Senator William Dixon, appears to have his hands on the controls and may be manipulating his son. Several of his key advisors and close friends die leaving him dependent on his fatheršs counsels. We meet a man determined to kill, a man variously known as Nocturne and Nightmare. He blames Kate Dixon and her father for destroying his life. Then Katešs father, a former vice president, has an accident on his farm near Stillwater, Minnesota, and the Secret Service moves in to protect Kate as she visits her father. We meet Bo Thorsen, the agent who heads the security for the farm and a man who sees farther than most do. He is the first to sense the existence of Nightmare and the threat to the first lady and her father From there the story carries us, pell mell, through a bumpy frightening road of secrets, betrayals, and death. Time after time we think we have seen the solution, only something intervenes to correct us. We see the world of the politician, a world that can be idealistic and beneficial but so often gets warped into a search for power and control with no thought as to how to use that power. There is passion and betrayal, love turned ugly, abuse, and above all duty. We meet two young men, both of whom were scarred and damaged as youths and each of whom uses that agony to make himself into a different sort of person. The effects of the past on many characters in this book are varied, but vital to understanding the sorts of people they are. Above all we see delicate, careful, beautiful descriptions of the land Krueger clearly loves. He takes us out over the St. Croix river at night as the moon rises and down into the Mississippi valley in the middle of the Twin Cities, deserted, stark, and yet still pleasing. We are placed into the setting and it comes alive for us as we read. The characters are sympathetic, even those we tend to mistrust. Krueger has created authentic flawed and memorable human beings in whom we can believe and for whom we care. Contrary to many thrillers the characters are carefully and completely delineated. My only quibble was two characters, toward the end of the book, who changed directions rather quickly and I questioned whether there was adequate motivation for us to accept this change of direction. But many characters in thrillers act for unclear reasons and this story is better than most. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and the minor quibbles were really unimportant. It is enjoyable to see favorite writers flex their muscles and try new and diverse types of writing. And I really could not stop reading once I get going on the story. I highly recommend this book!
Reviewed by Sally A. Fellows, January 2003
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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