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In the Minnesota hamlet of Staggerford, life for some of its inhabitants has passed them by and all they have left to sustain them are the remembrances of things past. Living in their yesterdays gives little concern to their today, but what they do remember is now going to affect how their futures turn out. In Jon Hassler's two-novella book, he goes inside their memories in order to make sense of how their lives have turned out. Small-town America provides authors with of stories of hardships and struggles and victories, and it takes a good storyteller to get it right. Jon Hassler is one of them and his tales are worth a read. In the first novella of the book, The Staggerford Murders, we learn the story of the murder of Neddy Nichols and the disappearance of his wife, Blanche. For nine years the case has remained cold and it has been a blight inside the village. A newspaper ad brings it all back as the daughter comes back to Staggerford looking for answers. In the Ransford Hotel (15 per cent discount, if you bring your own sheets) the guests remember what happened nine years ago not knowing that each one has a key in solving the mystery. The author uses a risky literary device in trying to put the pieces together of this crime and manages to pull it off. Each character tells his or her side of the story through the use of first-person narration giving readers a look at each one's point of view. At times humorous as well as bittersweet, these people have nothing else to lose and they give us a unique perspective inside small-town life where everybody knows everyone's business. The Staggerford Murders is great in its character development and a whole lot of the story would have been lost had it been told through the eyes of one character. It is an impressive work. With such a strong opening act one would expect the second act to pale in comparison. That is not the case here. In The Life and Death of Nancy Clancy's Nephew we are introduced to W D Nestor, a grumpy old octogenarian who has always reined in his emotions after a series of unfortunate incidents that has made him cold as ice. In this story, which acts more as a character study, readers get to know about his life through memories filled with great emotion that will leave readers with a tear in their eye. W D will find completion after he visits his aunt where she shares things of which he was unaware. By the end his outlook will take a positive turn leaving his life with meaning once again. My regret was not having visited any of the other Staggerford novels. That will definitely change and after reading this maybe others might feel the same. If you are looking for something good to read, look no further. The STAGGERFORD MURDERS is highly recommended.
Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, December 2004
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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