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Life in Exile, Florida is very different for Frank Cole. He's living the quiet life, doing his best to thwart a bankruptcy court judge gone wacko. When Frank's business went belly-up, the judge attached Frank's future earnings in the settlement. This is almost certainly going to be reversed on appeal, but until that happens, Frank is making as little money as possible by working as an insurance fact-checker hundreds of miles away from his creditors and past life. He's not a happy man, and he needs something to keep his brain busy. When he is asked to check into the hit-and-run accident that left Eddie Gonzalez dead, it seems like a routine case. Which, of course, it is not. Frank figures out that Eddie was not the real target, and the accident was a pre-meditated murder. When he is told, none too subtly, to back off the case, he does not. He forges on. Frank has the usual arsenal of buddies who can help him, some from his old life and one or two from his new one. They keep him on track and focused, remind him that not everything is as it seems. They're good friends to have. One of the aspects of O'Neil's writing which I particularly enjoy is the way in which he has Frank make mental leaps that astound me. Then, when other characters are as dumfounded as I am, Frank explains his thought processes. It becomes a low-key education in logical thinking, and also in thinking 'outside the box'; Frank is adept in both areas. MURDER IN EXILE is the 2005 winner of the Malice Domestic/St. Martin's Press Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Contest. As with the 2004 winner (EIGHT OF SWORDS by David Skibbins), MURDER IN EXILE pushes the boundaries of what most people might consider a cozy. The main character is male and he works in what might be considered an unusual profession for an amateur sleuth. Not unheard of, but not Miss Marple, either. I hope this is the start of yet another in the tradition of good series coming out of this particular contest. MURDER IN EXILE certainly has that potential.
Reviewed by P. J. Coldren, June 2006
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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