Book Cover

Presumption of Death

Mystery of the month

The August Tip of the Ice Pick award goes to Perri O'Shaughnessy for the stylish California thriller Presumption of Death (Delacorte, $24.95, 392 pages, ISBN 0385336454). "Perri" is the pen name for two O'Shaughnessy sisters, Pamela and Mary; besides being an amalgam of their given names, it is an unabashed homage to one of the all-time iconic suspense heroes, Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason. Presumption of Death features attorney Nina Reilly, on leave from her Lake Tahoe practice and chilling out with her private investigator boyfriend in the exclusive beach enclave of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Serenity is not Nina's strong suit, and she quickly becomes embroiled in the investigation of an arson murder in which Wish Whitefeather, the son of an old friend, is the principal suspect. The evidence is damning: Wish was seen going into the forest just before the fire broke out, and the deceased victim sports a depression in his skull which matches the bloodied edge of Wish's heavy camera. His alibi is thin at best, but he is likable enough, and Nina believes his story. She agrees to represent him at the preliminary hearing. Her investigation bears fruit early on. It seems that several others had both motive and opportunity to commit a bit of well-timed arson: the homeowners whose quiet neighborhood was in the sights of unscrupulous developers; the strange and violent hippie-turned-mountain man; the eccentric "cat lady," fiercely dedicated to her feral brood. As is the case with the previous eight Nina Reilly novels, the protagonists are well-rounded and engaging, the legal issues are clarified for the layman, and the pace is relentless. Presumption of Death virtually demands to be read in one sitting.

Cindy Decker is center stage in Kellerman's latest

REVIEWS BY BRUCE TIERNEY

For rookie LAPD officer Cindy Decker, it is anything but a routine spring night. She has just found an abandoned baby in a dumpster behind a trendy Los Angeles eatery, and there is considerable doubt as to whether the child will survive the ordeal. The only trace of the mother is a scattering of bloodstains in the immediate vicinity. So begins Faye Kellerman's latest tale of clan Decker, Street Dreams. Those familiar with Kellerman's previous novels will recognize Cindy as the headstrong daughter of police lieutenant Peter Decker, hero of more than a dozen novels over the past 15 years, most recently 2002's Stone Kiss. Decker and his wife Rina Lazarus play supporting roles in Street Dreams, but center stage clearly belongs to Cindy. With the help and encouragement of her experienced father, she investigates meager leads, unearthing crime upon hidden crime: rape, physical abuse and perhaps murder. Fans of the ongoing Decker saga will find a lot to like in Street Dreams: fast pace, clever plotting and a number of twists. On the down side, it can be a bit daunting for the new reader to sort out the complicated relationships of the characters, as little clarification is offered regarding pivotal events in previous books. (Note to guys: there is a heinous romantic subplot here, replete with gushy dialogue; on the other hand, there is no shortage of blood and gore.)


Family ties

Margaret Maron has received huge critical acclaim as well as an Edgar Award (the mystery writer's equivalent of an Oscar) for her popular series featuring Judge Deborah Knott. Her latest, Last Lessons of Summer, is the story of Amy Steadman, a young New York heiress whose grandmother has been brutally murdered in rural North Carolina. The family home was the scene of another tragedy years earlier, the apparent suicide of Amy's mother when Amy was only 3 years old. Journeying south to settle her grandmother's estate, Amy finds herself drawing disturbing parallels between her own life and those of her deceased mother and grandmother. The deeper she digs, the more she suspects that her mother's death may not have been by her own hand, and indeed Amy herself may be in danger. Last Lessons of Summer is not a tale of brilliant sleuthing and superlative problem solving; epiphanies unfold in their own time, with little assistance from the protagonists. That said, it is a suspenseful and atmospheric novel, likely to appeal to longtime fans and new readers alike.


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