Listening to PBS one day, I heard an interview with Jill McGown about her latest book. These summer reruns make havoc of our lives. The woman is in her grave these 15 months, and I was looking for her latest work. Well, accidentally, while browsing the shelves of the Takoma Park DC library, one of those charming boxes funded by Andrew Carnegie, I happend to see McGown's name and checked out a mystery called SCENE OF CRIME. That sounds like the caveman in the GEICO adds giving the title of a movie or documentary; but who's knows what ? lurks in the hearts of authors? I feel cheated. Apparantly there is one of those steamy romances brewing between Inspector Lloyd and Judy Hill...all of this in romantic Glascow and environs. By the time I got to one of the books, she is slightly preggers with Lloyd's child, is tentative about marrying the bloke, yet they rationate about the case despite the obvious behind the scenes drama. Well, I give the book a B. McGown does some very clever plotting by ascribing passages to most of the characters which may point to their guilt in the murder of Estelle. The cast is described with lively brush strokes...coppers, and swagmen and porn masters...all this in a little town. True confessions; it was a page turner; I wanted desperately to find out who dunnit, so I could finish the book. That's scant praise, and I am truly sorry I did not read an earlier book when Judy and Inspector Lloyd thought they hated each other.
If you like complex mysteries where most of the details are given but require a focused, analytical mind to sort the essential from the chaff, then this book may appeal to you. I, frankly, got lost in the myriad details surrounding the crime, especially the number of suspects for the murder and the various thefts. One would need to create a timeline to keep straight who was where and when. The author's technique of including first person accounts for pretty much all the characters -- the detectives, the suspects and even the deceased -- made for a slightly muddled effect. I really didn't identify with the "good guys" as much as I did with the "bad guys". The author does explain it all. I'd give it a 3.5 for a strong mystery elements, but it was a little overdone for my tastes.
