There are those rare occasions when an impulse takes me to a book that I really enjoy! This book was not written by an author I previously knew, nor were there enough reviews on Goodreads to make up my mind. I still went ahead and read it, something I rarely do nowadays, but ended up bingeing the whole thing.
The book is based in 1955 Seattle and starts off innocuously enough. The order of the (available) titles is a little confusing, but this seems to be the first because Michael Riggs has recently received a promotion. He has to fill the shoes of a more popular elder brother, and his rise is only because there was not much of an alternative (which is an unfortunate reason to give and get a promotion). Immediately after, he is put on a very delicate case.
The family involved are highly influential, and they want things wrapped up ASAP and so do the higherups at work. On the other hand, Micahel Riggs finds it hard to rush things, especially since the doctor and the ensuing investigation reveals a murder. The family and their extended connections are all under suspicion. I really enjoyed the straightforward narrative style, the subtle twists hidden, and the revelations of the characters as the plot progresses. There is also a scene between a couple which reminded me of one from an Agatha Christie book. When I set it aside, I did it with satisfaction, something that always has me rating a book highly.
It is not a fast-paced story. Everyone’s ambiguity continues till the very end. I would recommend it to anyone looking for an older style mystery and who does not mind such a book’s speed and style.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
Superfluous Reading 