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Charlie Brompton is a prominent figure in Laurel Beach. He owns a famous restaurant in addition to a large portion of land. Meanwhile, Hudson DeForest is coming back for the summer after a year of teaching school. Hudson and Charlie have been friends for years, but Hudson has grown more distant since the death of his wife. Charlie hopes that he is able to help Hudson with his mourning and allow Hudson to return to his own life. Charlie is also getting older and facing his own mortality. To this end he plans to invite his godson Chaz and his wife Sydney to visit. He hopes that their vitality will inspire him. Unbeknownst to him, Chaz and Sydney have their own plans for this visit and it is not merely to determine what Charlie is giving them. Charlie will have to watch his back if he plans on surviving this encounter with his fortune intact. The book lacks strong character development; however, Hury does seem to be aware of the fact, as some characters are very developed as though to compensate for others. Charlie is the first character introduced in the book, but he is not truly the main character. Charlie is reasonably developed and his motivations are mostly understandable. Hudson is most likely the main character and as such he is very well developed. Hudson is also the only character where all of his actions and thoughts are understood. The remaining characters, and there are several, are mostly shadow characters. They provide necessary information and bodies; yet, they do not have true individual identities. While this is not always a problem in a book, these characters appearing frequently in the text, making their one-dimensional development apparent. In the future Hury might want to rethink having a book with so many characters. THE EDGE OF THE GULF is not a true mystery. Although criminal activities are planned, plotted and carried out, the book does not focus on these elements much. Hudson, trying to find his essential core through time and the familiarity and camaraderie of this small town, comprises a large portion of this book. In addition, the characters all seem to be going through a period of self-evaluation, which makes a single criminal theme hard to develop and to maintain. This book focuses primarily on the idea of what and who individuals find important in their lives. THE EDGE OF THE GULF, which is Hury's first novel, should be viewed from the perspective of general fiction rather than crime fiction. When seen in such a manner, the story makes more sense and does not appear slightly flawed.
Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, April 2004
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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