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WHISPERS IN THE DARK
by Eleanor Taylor Bland
St. Martin's, Minotaur, November 2001
304 pages
$23.95
ISBN: 0312203799


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Darn it. This is happening all too often - a writer whose work I have always like writing a book that disappoints me. This is the third mystery in the last few months that I've finished with a sigh of dismay.

Eleanor Taylor Bland is one of mystery's class acts; a good writer, interesting panelist and, well, i have reason to now, a truly nice, fine person. Her protagonist, African-American Marti MacAlister, is a successful and smart cop in a relatively small city in Kansas. Over the years of reading this series, Bland has successfully shown a talent for offering both interesting crimes to be solved and character development. Marti's now married to Ben, and their combined families show strong ties, and an understanding of the mix of career and parenting.

Marti is, pure and simple, not just a good police officer, who cares about people, and can connect with all kinds of folks, but she's a good, non-judgmental woman. She's sure kinder than i am. Her friend Sharon has alays bugged me; she's selfish, unaware of anything but her own needs, and is one of those women who thinks she needs a man to be anyone. I can't understand why Marti bothers with her; Sharon never seems to do anything for Marti - it's a one-way friendship. Now, Marti's even taking care of Lisa, Sharon's daughter, because, well, because Sharon's too busy trying to find another man. Yuck.

This side story is one I've ignored before, but in this book, it's a major thread. Sharon's found a new man and is doing all she can to keep him; including taking away Lisa's keys so Lisa doesn't mess things up by existing. Suddenly, Sharon and her new love are off to the Bahamas. From the start, something is odd; not only because of Sharon's shallow behavior, but because she's already a bit fearful of DeVonte, who sulks if she's 10 minutes late getting home. Sorry, but that's not a good sign...and nothing good comes of this suspicious slick guy.

Meanwhile, in Lincoln Prairie, Marti and her partner Vik have come across a body part, an arm. There are odd echoes of this and a look at older files tells these cops that something is odd. They dig out some ties to artists in town, and try to discern what happened years ago, when other body parts were found, and when times were very different.

As always, Bland's writing is superior. The story moves well, and even the back and forth between Lincoln Prairie and the Bahamas, where a storm is brewing, is smooth and well-done. But I did not want to hear another word from the self-centered Sharon, who, although she believes she's a good mother, totally abandons her daughter as an awkward problem in the way of yet another "Mr. Wonderful". I didn't care for this story at all, and wished for it to be over. Sharon didn't have a swell time growing up, but she deals with it by running away, and is totally clueless about everything. So I couldn't enjoy the work that the cops did uncovering the other mystery. Other less judgmental, more tolerant readers will, no doubt, have an easier time with Whispers in the Dark than I did.

Reviewed by Andi Shechter, November 2001

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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