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Magda Bryce winds up in the Hennepin County morgue just one day after visiting private investigator Sean Sean in his Minneapolis office. The wife of a prominent local lawyer, Magda didn‛t bother telling Sean the reason for her visit, nor did she actually hire him. This puts the height-challenged PI at a distinct disadvantage when both the police and a hired hit man come knocking at his door. Ticked off by the unwarranted attention he‛s getting, Sean decides to investigate Magda‛s murder. He starts by visiting Ephraim Harcourt Saint Martin, an old enemy of Sean and the lawyer who supposedly referred Mrs Bryce to him. At first, Saint Martin refuses to cooperate. Days later, though, the tough old lawyer hires Sean to look into a matter that may or may not be connected to Magda‛s death. Sean isn‛t sure if Saint Martin really wants his help or is simply trying to draw his attention away from the Bryce case. His snooping has already uncovered some unsavory information concerning the sex life of Magda and her husband. What he knows certainly won‛t further the reputation of Saint Martin‛s law firm, one of the biggest in the city and currently Mr Bryce‛s employer. Suspicious of Saint Martin‛s intentions, Sean hires another PI to look into Ephraim‛s problem. He continues to work on the murder case while at the same time romancing Catherine Mckerney, his personal masseuse and current girlfriend. Busy with both personal and business affairs, Sean unwisely disregards a plea for help from someone associated with the Bryces. He lives to regret that decision when another body shows up in the morgue. Feeling guilty, Sean works overtime to help his friend Simon, a detective with the Minneapolis police, unravel the increasingly strange circumstances surrounding the two murders. This is the first in the Sean Sean series, originally published in 2005 but brought back into print this year by Nodin Press. The book provides a good introduction to PI Sean, a character that most recently appeared in the 2008 release, THE CASE OF THE DECEIVING DON. Short and sometimes grumpy, Sean loves fictional detectives, hightop red Keds, and guns of all sorts and caliber. He also loves women, but appears destined to quit his roving ways now that he‛s met Catherine. He‛s not a genius, but he‛s adept at prying the truth out of people. Most of all, he‛s original. In describing him, Minnesota novelist Carl Brookins has eschewed the usual hardboiled approach favored by many writers of detective novels. Sean isn‛t especially handsome. He isn‛t slick in speech or dress, and he has quirks that might make him a poor catch as a husband. But he‛s teddy bear likeable, which earns him points with this reader. While the plot is somewhat convoluted, it‛s easy to follow the characters and their role in the story. Brookins has added a few insider jokes to his tale, but these don‛t detract from the story and may, in fact, give knowledgeable readers a chuckle or two. His descriptions of the Twin Cities are right on, as is his portrayal of police work. The pacing may be a bit slower than usual in a detective novel, but it matches the mood and life style of the main character, and is probably truer to reality than what‛s often found in other mysteries. For those who like to read books in order, THE CASE OF THE GREEDY LAWYERS is a good introduction to Brookins‛ enjoyable Sean Sean series.
Reviewed by Mary V. Welk, August 2008
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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