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Peter Christie's life implodes when it is learned he is having an affair with a young intern at the metropolitan newspaper where he works. His wife divorces him, and he loses his job. This results in Peter doing what he feels he always does: run away. Peter feels he has been running away his whole life, mostly from a violent father who abused his mother and left him feeling powerless to help. Peter takes a job on the staff of a small paper on a little island off the coast of New England. Shortly after his arrival, a murder occurs on the estate of a wealthy and somewhat eccentric local man. The victim is the man's attorney and the grandfather of Haddie, whom Peter has started dating. Peter makes Haddie a promise to find the killer. His search will entangle him in the lives of several locals, and the list of suspects swirls and changes as each new clue and family secret is revealed. It isn't long before Peter and some of his new friends find themselves on the killer's list.
Sulzer makes it abundantly clear that his novel is heavily inspired by the great Agatha Christie. He even creates a backstory for his protagonist that places him as one of Christie's relatives. The book is similar in style and structure to a Christie mystery. Much like her novel, And Then There Were None, and like Flynn's Gone Girl, Sulzer continually directs the lens at one character and then another, setting up a network of red herrings to keep the reader following the trail and wondering where it will next lead. For the most part, he does this skillfully, leading the reader through misdirections which color the lives of the island's inhabitants and ultimately reveal the true identity of the murderer. Another influence on Sulzer's tone and style comes from the cozy mystery sub-genre. Although Sulzer does feature a murder that takes place in front of the protagonist, much of the book maintains a softer tone. The mystery unfolds within a small community, where profanity is rare, if used at all. The protagonist, a reporter and amateur sleuth, develops a contact within the local police force. Additionally, no sexual activity occurs in the story, and the protagonist appears to possess an intuitive understanding of the possible motivations of those around him.
Sulzer has written other books, but this is his first true mystery novel. His writing is sharp, clear, and layered with the right details and knowledge of island life that bring the story and characters to life. At times, his prose is both literary and perceptive, offering keen insights into the world and its inhabitants. There are a few minor missteps along the way. The most apparent is that the protagonist sometimes seems to reveal a clue he may have known for a while, leaving the reader feeling a little misled, as if the main character was purposely withholding pertinent information. However, it isn't too grievous, and many readers may not even notice. Overall, mystery lovers, particularly those who don't want the sex, violence, and profanity of more hard-boiled books, will find this an engaging read to recommend to their like-minded friends.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review