Armenian-American detective Gregor Demarkian makes his twenty-second appearance in Glass Houses, Jane Haddam's most recent addition to this elegant, insightful series. In crisp prose, Haddam renders a complex vision of a Philadelphia riven by stereotypes shaped by class, race and sexual orientation. Tension comes to the fore when a serial killer known as the Plate Glass Killer strikes yet again, and Henry Tyder, the alcoholic scion of a prominent old money Philadelphia family, is found bathed in blood near the most recent victim.
Eager to finally close the case, the Philadelphia police don't ask enough questions about Tyder, the most recent in a string of suspects. In fact, it seems that the detectives assigned to the case hate each other so thoroughly that they have allowed their emotions to undermine their work. In short, the case has been botched from its inception, and the local authorities call in retired FBI agent and behavioral specialist Gregor Demarkian to set matters right.
Haddam's particular genius appears in her presentation of each character's psyche, giving voice to disparate viewpoints and demonstrating the peculiar twists of human psychology, especially when sex is involved. It remains for Gregor to discover the threads of connection between and among the victims. Glass Houses is not for the faint of heart, but it will haunt long into the bleak night those hardy souls who persist to its arresting conclusion.
"For me, the books I read were the call—the call to adventure, to thinking, to acknowledging other points of view. But to complete the ritual, I needed to respond."
I am surrounded by books. Every room, every space in my large, sprawling 1750s house is full of books...
Our history and experiences can define us, inspire our actions, and as writers impact our words and stories. Mine most definitely has: my father was a small-time gangster. Really.
"My ah-ha moment came when I read The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.... That was it for me – I was off to the races."
Nietzsche once wrote, “There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.”
"Mystery books were daring and exciting, firing up my imagination and making me yearn to become a girl detective or even a secret agent. They also empowered me to make up impromptu ghost stories around the campfire for my Girl Scout troop and sneak into the cemetery at night on a dare."
Fire and Ashes, the latest Angela Richman Death Investigator mystery, is an exploration of a fatal fire. To research this novel, Viets delved into the devastating consequences of junk science and arson investigations.
