Barbara Lloyd McMichael
Crime book characters relive traumatic experiences
Published on Thu, May 26, 2011Read More McMichael
“The Worst Thing”
Aaron Elkins
Berkley, 304 pages, $25.95
“A Billings Murder Mystery”
Ted Riese
CreateSpace.com
238 pages, $12.95
If the unsavory side of life is your reading pleasure, I have two new crime novels this week — both from Sequim authors — which may be of interest.
Aaron Elkins is known for his Edgar Award-winning Gideon Oliver forensic mysteries. But his latest work, “The Worst Thing,” is a stand-alone novel featuring corporate security consultant Bryan Bennett.
As a research fellow at a Seattle institute specializing in crisis management, Bennett avoids hands-on involvement at this stage of his career and prefers to look at things theoretically. A couple of traumatic experiences earlier in life, including his own kidnapping as a child, have had a lasting effect on him — he suffers from claustrophobia and debilitating panic attacks. This makes him shy away from field work.
His wife, Lori, has been understanding, but Bennett’s problems have limited their lives in many ways. He doesn’t sleep well, doesn’t travel well and can’t tolerate certain smells he associates with his kidnapping. This is taking a toll on their marriage, so Bennett vows to overcome his problem.
He sees a psychiatrist, and when his boss asks him to lead a week-long training program in Iceland for a multinational business concern, Bennett consents, taking Lori along on the all-expenses-paid trip to combine business with sightseeing.
The company Bennett presents to needs to beef up its security savvy after a recent foiled abduction attempt on the CEO. But in the middle of the training there is another abduction attempt — and this time not only is the CEO nabbed, so is Lori.
Once again, Bennett finds himself in a hostage situation where the things he holds most dear are at risk.
Elkins always does good research, so the criminal details and counter tactics are intriguing. Even Bennett’s panic attacks make for compelling (albeit harrowing) reading. And best of all, for armchair travelers, are Elkin’s evocative descriptions of Reykjavik and surrounds.
Outside of the main action, however, the subplots feel rushed and the wrap-up is downright hasty. “The Worst Thing” is engaging, but it is not Elkins’ best work.
“A Billings Murder Mystery,”
on the other hand, may be author Ted Riese’s only work — seeing as the retired community college professor claims it took him “65 years and two weeks” to write. This novel about the killing of an alcoholic Montana businessman in 1945 is particularly discomfiting as it has semi-autobiographical underpinnings.
Although Riese assures us in the foreword that there never really was a murder in his family, it is clear that the adults in his childhood — particularly his father — contributed to distressing memories of alcohol abuse, infidelity and domestic violence.
In this book, with the characters subject to his own bidding, Riese the author weaves a tale with perhaps a more satisfying ending.
This is a self-published book and I suspect that
Riese’s plot mechanics might not be up-to-grade for most conventional publishers. But the characters are captivating and make this book hard to put down.
The Bookmonger is Barbara Lloyd McMichael, who writes this column focusing on the books, authors and publishers of the Pacific Northwest. Contact her at bkmonger@nwlink.com.
Aaron Elkins
Berkley, 304 pages, $25.95
“A Billings Murder Mystery”
Ted Riese
CreateSpace.com
238 pages, $12.95
If the unsavory side of life is your reading pleasure, I have two new crime novels this week — both from Sequim authors — which may be of interest.
Aaron Elkins is known for his Edgar Award-winning Gideon Oliver forensic mysteries. But his latest work, “The Worst Thing,” is a stand-alone novel featuring corporate security consultant Bryan Bennett.
As a research fellow at a Seattle institute specializing in crisis management, Bennett avoids hands-on involvement at this stage of his career and prefers to look at things theoretically. A couple of traumatic experiences earlier in life, including his own kidnapping as a child, have had a lasting effect on him — he suffers from claustrophobia and debilitating panic attacks. This makes him shy away from field work.
His wife, Lori, has been understanding, but Bennett’s problems have limited their lives in many ways. He doesn’t sleep well, doesn’t travel well and can’t tolerate certain smells he associates with his kidnapping. This is taking a toll on their marriage, so Bennett vows to overcome his problem.
He sees a psychiatrist, and when his boss asks him to lead a week-long training program in Iceland for a multinational business concern, Bennett consents, taking Lori along on the all-expenses-paid trip to combine business with sightseeing.
The company Bennett presents to needs to beef up its security savvy after a recent foiled abduction attempt on the CEO. But in the middle of the training there is another abduction attempt — and this time not only is the CEO nabbed, so is Lori.
Once again, Bennett finds himself in a hostage situation where the things he holds most dear are at risk.
Elkins always does good research, so the criminal details and counter tactics are intriguing. Even Bennett’s panic attacks make for compelling (albeit harrowing) reading. And best of all, for armchair travelers, are Elkin’s evocative descriptions of Reykjavik and surrounds.
Outside of the main action, however, the subplots feel rushed and the wrap-up is downright hasty. “The Worst Thing” is engaging, but it is not Elkins’ best work.
“A Billings Murder Mystery,”
on the other hand, may be author Ted Riese’s only work — seeing as the retired community college professor claims it took him “65 years and two weeks” to write. This novel about the killing of an alcoholic Montana businessman in 1945 is particularly discomfiting as it has semi-autobiographical underpinnings.
Although Riese assures us in the foreword that there never really was a murder in his family, it is clear that the adults in his childhood — particularly his father — contributed to distressing memories of alcohol abuse, infidelity and domestic violence.
In this book, with the characters subject to his own bidding, Riese the author weaves a tale with perhaps a more satisfying ending.
This is a self-published book and I suspect that
Riese’s plot mechanics might not be up-to-grade for most conventional publishers. But the characters are captivating and make this book hard to put down.
The Bookmonger is Barbara Lloyd McMichael, who writes this column focusing on the books, authors and publishers of the Pacific Northwest. Contact her at bkmonger@nwlink.com.
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