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This is the debut of a new series for author Slater. She has already published three mysteries in the Ben Pecos series, and here she introduces fifty-ish insurance investigator Dan Mahoney from Chicago. Mahoney is sent to New Mexico, to the small town of Tatum, to find out why several highly insured prize cattle on the Double Horseshoe Ranch have recently died. His first day there, he is caught in a thunderstorm, and witnesses a car chase involving shooting. The storm creates a flash flood, which sweeps away the lead car in the chase. A body is found along with evidence that recently paroled drug smuggler Eric Linden was also in the car, along with a bankbook stating that Linden had over two million dollars on deposit in a local bank‹but the money isn¹t there, and never was there. Because of the drug connection, the FBI becomes involved, dragging Mahoney along for the ride. None of this works. The disparate threads of the mysteries going on don¹t really connect in a way that makes sense, and Slater goes off on weird tangents‹Santeria, UFO¹s (Tatum is close to Roswell), etc., that are eventually connected up in ways that don¹t really make a lot of sense. The characters are too sketchily drawn and not fleshed out enough for them to be believable. A love interest is also thrown in for Mahoney‹the lovely Elaine Linden, possible widow of Eric, who might know more about the drugs than she is telling. Mahoney and Elaine meet at a dinner thrown by Mahoney¹s sister (who happens to live in Roswell, and whose husband is running for governor), and fall madly, passionately in love at almost first sight, having thoughts like "this could be the real thing" etc. It¹s no wonder Mahoney has been divorced twice if this is how he approaches relationships‹planning a future together with someone he has just met and had sex with. Why would the FBI, for example, trust Mahoney when they have never worked with him before and know nothing about him? Why would Mahoney be willing to work with them? He is even put on the FBI payroll, no questions asked. And on and on and on. There is also a perspective problem‹the book is told from almost everyone¹s perspective. This keeps the reader from becoming involved with any of them. There are some wonderful scenes in this book, though‹Slater is a master at setting scene, and her New Mexico comes alive in her skillful hands. Unfortunately, the characters aren¹t developed enough so their actions can be understood in a way that makes sense, which makes the book ultimately fail. Some of the varied plot skeins could have been dropped, and the others played up more, which would have made this book more focused and a better read.
Reviewed by Greg Herren, November 2002
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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