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The peaceful Scottish countryside is the setting for THE LAST VICTIM IN GLEN ROSS. Ina Mathews is discovered after the crows had attacked her recently dead body which had suffered from multiple cuts. Ina, through the author's insightfulness, develops as a real character with her own gifts and flaws. Investigating this murder is a feuding group of male detectives who each have their own methodology and character flaws. There's Mornay who enjoys his women, Byrne, McNab, and the female detective Clair Gillespie, the only detective without baggage and hostilities. Whilst the murder is being investigated, a local flower festival in which Ina was a likely winner, is beginning and there seems to be a connection with the suicide of the vicar's wife who died two years previously. M G Kincaid is masterful with character development. Within the beginning pages of this novel, each character has an individual voice, as well as character attributes and flaws. This makes the reading delightful as with each turn of the page, each character becomes more visible and recognizable to the reader. The mystery of who killed Ina does conclude predictably, but what is fascinating is the mystery of the past and the secrets that each person chooses not to disclose to the investigators. It seems that everyone has some secret that relates to the murder and that no one chooses to cooperate fully with the investigation in an effort not to have the police focus on their particular faults. The involvement of the Scottish village with the alcoholic lord and his over-protective mother adds much to the setting. These two characters help in establishing the hierarchy of the village and the relationships of the people within. The pacing is steady throughout this short novel. The pages seem to fly as more of the past is revealed through the investigative process. The reader almost feels nosy in looking into the past of each character in discovering their flaws and secrets. This is one of the few books that I consider to be tidy. The murder neatly wraps up and concludes at the end; however, there is definitely a possibility of a sequel that I would enjoy reading. The characters could easily reappear with more of their pasts revealed in future books. What happens to Pamela, the Sandringtons, Mornay's love-life, Victoria, and who won first place at the flower show? I hope to read these answers in the next book. THE LAST VICTIM IN GLEN ROSS is M. G. Kincaid's debut novel. A former marine, she lives with her husband in Michigan.
Reviewed by Teri Davis, April 2004
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