This series has long been a favorite of mine - discovered quite a few years back. I admit I've skipped a handful in more recent years (to be honest, I own them all, but with all the read-to-review books I get through NetGalley, I simply haven't found time to work them in). The current Christmas-New Year's holiday season brought a brief respite from that must-read list, though, so I jumped on the opportunity to start this one. And happily, I finished it the same day just because I didn't want to stop.Although it's the 23rd in the series, this entry stands alone quite well (as evidenced by my not getting even a little bit lost even though I haven't stayed up to date). This one begins as central character John Jordan, an investigator for Florida's Gulf Coast Sheriff's Department, on a Florida beach - invited there to present a series of lectures. Recently, the prison at which he served as chaplain was decimated by a hurricane; rather than move his wife, Anna, and their young daughter, Taylor, to the area in which the destroyed prison's inmates were transferred, he resigned.
But John had another reason to accept the invitation to lecture; he hopes to find time to look into the disappearance of three-year-old girl named Magdalene Dacosta about a year ago (the book is, for the record, "inspired" by the real-life case of Madeleine McCann). Not long before she went missing, she'd been adopted out of foster care by gay couple Keith and Christopher. Overjoyed at getting a child, the two managed to win over most of the local residents who, let's say, resisted the concept of a child having two dads. They also were instrumental in bringing John in for the lectures, hoping he'd help them find out what happened to their precious daughter (even if it's not what they want to hear).
The first lecture goes well, and the parents, who own a rather spooky bed-and-breakfast and hold an annual Winter Solstice party for select guests, are thrilled that John agrees to poke his nose in the case. It was the night of that party, in fact, that Magdalene disappeared, never to be seen again. John's wife, Anna, though, is less than happy that John is once again (in her view) putting work ahead of family. Quickly, the relationship becomes strained, although both continue to dote on their daughter.
In a sense, the investigation is more clear-cut than most; it would have been impossible for anyone except those at the party (including her parents) to have taken Magdalene from the home that night, all those involved - even the police - agree. That means, of course, that the kidnapper - and possibly murderer - is someone they all know and love. But who? And how? And when? Readers are introduced to all the party-goers, making it an ongoing guessing game as to who the culprit might be. Worse, the closer John gets to the truth, the more he puts his own family in danger and further alienates his already distressed wife.
Most issues get resolved by the end, but the tension doesn't let up a bit till then. Happy to report this remains a favorite series, and one of my New Year's resolutions is to make sure I don't miss any more of them. Highly recommended!
Blood and Sand by Michael Lister (Pulpwood Press, November 2019); 278 pp.
No comments:
Post a Comment