The Bodies Left Behind
by Jeffery Deaver
Simon & Schuster, November 11, 2008, $26.00
Police deputy Brynn McKenzie is tired, hungry, and glad to be home after a long shift, but when Sheriff Tom Dahl calls her to check out a 911 call from an isolated vacation house near Lake Mondac, she’s eager to go. The drive through the dense forest of Marquette State Park is long and lonely. On the way, the sheriff radios back that the call was a mistake—the cell phone owner had called back saying he and his wife were fine—but Brynn, a specialist in domestic violence cases, decides to make sure.
Silence greets her at the house. No one answers the doorbell and when she tries the door, it swings open. Pushing inside, she sees the contents of a briefcase and backpack spilled across the floor. Nearby, a couple lie face down in a spreading pool of blood. Before she can retrieve her cell phone from the car, Brynn hears whispers and realizes the killers haven’t left. What follows is a night of nonstop, terrifying flight and pursuit, death and survival where Brynn’s training, endurance and wits are tested.
A master of suspense, Deaver throws his protagonist (and his villains) into one impossible situation after another, upping the stakes and building the tension. Bodies rushes into high-speed action, cutting away only briefly for subplot or back story. Unfortunately, after the thrill ride of the chase with its jaw-dropping plot twists, the murder investigation wrap-up seems abrupt, anticlimactic and may leave some readers feeling cheated. But does Deputy Brynn McKenzie have the potential to be a new series character for Deaver? She certainly has promise.
HOLIDAY ISSUE #107
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008Hi everyone,
Once again we’ve searched high and low for items for the annual Mystery Scene Gift Guide. In fact, Kevin Burton Smith found so many great gifts that we couldn’t fit them all in. You’ll see a couple of ideas on this page and there will be even more on our blog in the coming weeks. Feel free to post suggestions! And we’d love to hear your thoughts on the first ever color section in Mystery Scene.
Left: Dust jackets are at the intersection of the literary and visual arts and Diane Plumley’s engaging jewelry proclaims your love of both. Prices range from $10.00-18.00 for pins, necklaces, earrings, and tie tacks. Visit picture-perfect-designs.com to see more offerings.
Reading the financial news these days is more horrifying than anything Stephen King ever dreamed up. Don’t you wish that someone as competent as John Putnam Thatcher of the Sloan Guaranty Trust were in charge? Jim Huang is a long-time fan of Thatcher’s creator, Emma Lathen, and in his timely article, “Right on the Money,” makes a convincing case that you should be, too.
As the hometown of our next president, Chicago is also in the news. Sean Chercover gives a rousing tour of “the ultimate insider town” in his well-reviewed sophomore effort, Trigger City. In this issue, he talks to Oline Cogdill about writing, politics, and his ongoing love affair with the Windy City.
After you read the news, you’ll need some cheering up. May we recommend Donna Andrews? Her funny, sweet-tempered mysteries are just the thing to get you back on the sunny side of the street.
It’s not only criminals who are crafty these days. “The Arts & Crafts of Crime” takes a look at a variety of sleuths who interrupt their knitting, pot-throwing, doll-making, home-canning, and quilting to catch bad guys.
Brian’s hands-down favorite article this issue is “Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered,” Scott Ratner’s look at puzzle mystery films from the 1930s. Also in this issue, we’ll look at the intriguing Baroness Orczy of Scarlet Pimpernel fame, check in on Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan who is crossing boundaries yet again, and find out what happened to Erle Stanley Gardner’s missing “Fiction Factory.”
This coming March, Brian and I will be travelling to Left Coast Crime, our first ever trip to this conference as well as to Hawaii. (Hmm, coincidence? I think not.) Mystery Scene is sponsoring a “Meet the New Authors” Breakfast and a “History of Mystery” lecture showcasing fantastic art from the Mystery Scene archives. Hope to see some of you there!
Best wishes from all of us for a happy, healthy, and highly entertaining New Year.
Kate Stine
Editor-in-chief
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