Book Reviews

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Whodunnit best
Top mysteries of 2007

Oline H. Cogdill
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Laura Lippman's storytelling skills have been evident since her first award-winning novel, Baltimore Blues (1997), introduced private investigator Tess Monaghan. That debut showed the author's acute ability to deliver sturdy tales that push the edges of the traditional private eye novel. Her nine-novel series examines contemporary life through a witty, unconventional heroine who is intrinsically part of Baltimore's unique vagaries.

But her stand-alone novels are just as excellent and among the best is her most recent. What the Dead Know (Morrow) is typical of the author's keen plotting skills -- taking a realistic situation, in this case the disappearance of two girls, and elegantly spinning it into a treatise on contemporary society. In this superbly plotted mystery, two girls disappeared from a busy Baltimore mall 30 years ago. Now a woman claims to be one of the girls. An emotional story that elegantly traces the dissolution of a family whose hidden fragility breaks under the weight of this destructive event.

Lippman pulls out all the emotional stops constructing a novel that straddles several genres: It succeeds as a mystery, a thriller, a police procedural and that most undefinable genre, women's fiction. What the Dead Know has a tough edge, but also a gentle touch, and Lippman's fresh approach makes it the top mystery of 2007.

The other great books of the year:

Magic City by James W. Hall (Minotaur/St. Martin's Press). Hall delivers the quintessential Florida novel with a plot that starts in 1964 -- a time when Miami and America were on the cusp of change -- and ends in 2007. Each description, each reference of the contemporary Miami intersects with old Miami, giving a complete view of the past and present.

The Watchman by Robert Crais (Simon & Schuster). Crais's usual hero Elvis Cole becomes the sidekick to his partner -- the laconic, lethal and quite enigmatic Joe Pike. Inspired action, a solid plot and crisp dialogue are woven into an affecting story about two adults trying to reconcile with their fathers.

Down River by John Hart (Minotaur/St. Martin's Press). Hart's second novel surpasses last year's stunning debut, The King of Lies. With keen appraisals of human foibles and an emphasis on North Carolina history and flavour, Down River is in a league with the best of Southern novels. A compelling look at greed, power, cruelty and the strength and fragility of families.

The Naming of the Dead by Ian Rankin (Little, Brown). Rankin's melding of Edinburgh's history with its contemporary concerns through the actions of police detective John Rebus is superbly evident in the series' 18th novel. With Edinburgh in chaos over a world leaders summit, Rebus takes a case of a murdered sex offender. A maze of human emotions seen against the backdrop of the Scottish landscape proves, once again, Rankin's considerable talent.

Mr. Clarinet by Nick Stone (HarperCollins). Stone delves deep into every aspect of Haiti -- its fractured politics, chaotic social strata and legends -- in a gritty, fascinating story. Stone's noir works equally as an international thriller, an intimate family portrait, a regional view of a country under siege and an old-fashioned detective story.

A Pale Horse by Charles Todd (Morrow). Todd's emotionally penetrating series is set in the immediate aftermath of the First World War, but these novels, distinguished for their superior plots, transcend any era. In the series' 10th novel, Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge's investigation revolves around a guilty scientist, his estranged family and the atrocities of the war.

Hard Row by Margaret Maron (Warner Books). A hallmark of Maron's novels is her skill at gracefully integrating hard-hitting, topical themes into stories about family and domestic life. Hard Row couldn't be more timely with its focus on immigration, migrant workers and people who make their living off the land.

City of Fire by Robert Ellis (St. Martin's/Minotaur). In his third novel, Ellis takes the police procedural and makes it a tale of personal corruption and desire, where right and wrong overlap.

Origin by Diana Abu-Jaber (Norton). Best known for her novels and non-fiction about Middle Eastern culture, Abu-Jaber delivers a rousing, psychological thriller that expounds on questions of identity and the fragility of love. At the plot's core is a reclusive fingerprint specialist who's often given cases involving children.

Heartsick by Chelsea Cain (Minotaur/St. Martin's Press). Cain comfortably strides into Hannibal Lecter territory with a charismatic female serial killer. But it's her focus on two damaged people, a Portland, Oregon, police detective and a savvy reporter, which elevates Heartsick to a nuanced novel about surviving what threatens to destroy us.

A Person of Interest by Theresa Schwegel (St Martin's Press). A family disintegrates while a cop's investigation puts him and his loved ones in danger in this character-driven police procedural.

Last Rituals by Yrsa Sigurdardottir (Morrow). An Icelandic attorney's case serves as an insight into the country's changing landscape and culture.

Best debuts

Missing Witness by Gordon Campbell (Morrow). Campbell breaks new ground in a legal thriller that explores the alchemy of the law and truth. Set in 1973 Phoenix, Missing Witness is a searing look at the law on the cusp of change and of idealism churning into corporate greed. Not since Scott Turow's Presumed Innocent has a legal thriller been so enthralling.

In the Woods by Tana French (Viking). Utilizing the police procedural, French balances intense characters with a look at Ireland's changing landscape and a psychological study of the effects of a childhood trauma. An intelligent, atmospheric thriller blends the gothic novel with the modern mystery.

Big City, Bad Blood by Sean Chercover (Morrow). Chercover refreshes the private detective genre as he looks at Chicago, its past and present, movers and criminals, beauty and chaos. His hero is a former journalist turned p.i., both jobs that bring him in contact with Chicago's best and worst residents.

The Blade Itself by Marcus Sakey (Minotaur/St. Martins). This Chicago-based author crafts a tension-laden plot to sharply examine a man rebuilding his life. Centring on two lifelong buddies whose lives take a fateful turn during a botched break-in, this is an insightful look at the circumstances that make each of us who we are.

BEST SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS

Akashic's Noir series, edited by various authors and Chicago Blues, edited by Libby Fischer Hellmann (Bleak House).

Akashic publisher's dozen or so Noir anthologies focus on a different city, including New Orleans, Miami, Baltimore, San Francisco, Havana and more, and act as a mini-guide to each area. For Chicago Blues, Libby Fischer Hellmann has assembled 21 Windy City authors whose view of Chicago is anything but typical, capturing its neighbourhoods, history and atmosphere.

BEST REVIVAL

The Archer Files: The Complete Short Stories of Lew Archer, Private Investigator by Ross Macdonald. Edited by Tom Nolan (Crippen & Landru Publishers). This fine collection makes us remember what a master Macdonald was, and the timelessness of his Lew Archer stories. Macdonald biographer Nolan also contributes an insightful sketch of the private detective.