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THE SANDBURG CONNECTION
by Mark de Castrique
Poisoned Pen Press, October 2011
250 pages
$24.95
ISBN: 1590589416


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

THE SANDBURG CONNECTION is a well-written whodunit with lots of local and regional flavor. Janice Wainwright, a University of North Carolina at Asheville professor of history, falls to her death from a rock outcropping near the historic home of Carl Sandburg. A private investigator, Sam Blackman, unwittingly witnesses her fall because he is following her on a malpractice-related case. He has been hired to discover whether or not she has been faking the back pain that is the center of her claim against the doctor who operated on her. But, classically, did she fall or was she pushed? Did painkillers make her dizzy, or was she a murder victim? Her last words are the start of a cryptic puzzle. She murmurs, "Wendy. It's the verses. Sandburg's verses." True to form, there are many possible suspects, including, but not limited to all of the following: a smarmy lawyer ex-husband, a jealous colleague, a family friend, a philandering doctor, and a young man who has his sights set on her underage daughter Wendy.

Sam and his partner Nakayla Robertson must find out about Janice's research, which seems to be linked to why she was up on the mountain in the first place, although she had great pain in her back. She was an expert in the Civil War era, and something she had learned in her research may have ended up getting her killed. They must find out what that was, using clues from Carl Sandburg's writings, old songbooks, and from people related to long-ago inhabitants of the area. When another murder occurs, Sam and Nakayla realize that they must catch the culprit quickly.

Sam is a well-drawn PI, an ex-military investigator, who had served with the Army's CID, Criminal Investigation Division, until he had part of his left leg blown off in Iraq. He has different prosthetic legs that serve different functions for him, depending on the kind of terrain he will be on—one he calls Cadillac and one Land Rover. His partner Nakayla is also his girlfriend, and they share a low-key often-joking intimacy that adds fun to the book. My only criticism is that the legal issues dealing with the malpractice suit and the possible murder case sometimes get confusing. Other than that, this is an enjoyable book and will have special interest to those readers who are familiar with the wonderful town of Asheville NC, its restaurants, barbecue, local beers and environs.

Anne Corey is a writer, poet, teacher and botanical artist in New York's Hudson Valley.

Reviewed by Anne Corey, September 2011

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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