by
Jo A.
Hiestand
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GENRE: British mystery
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BLURB:
One dark night artist Craig Saxton went missing from his
village. His body was found thirty-two hours later in the river, floating
like a bobber on a fishing line. Rumors swell like tidal waves: did his ex-wife
or his fiancée’s father kill this likeable young man? Or was it simply a case
of jealousy by the village’s other artist? Now, two years later, Craig’s
fiancée hopes ex-police detective Michael McLaren can find out. From speaking
to villagers, McLaren quickly realizes that what appears to be a
straightforward investigation is fast becoming as tangled as fishing lines. Are
the fish poaching incidents, the reappearance of the local ghost, and assaults
on him merely to muddy the investigative waters, or are they connected to
Craig’s death? McLaren has his hands full. They become even fuller when a
nemesis from his past appears one night, bent on revenge. And the inevitable
struggle opens a new future for one man…and leaves the other empty handed.
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EXCERPT
They settled at a table they
considered theirs. It was in a corner, diagonal to the pub’s front door.
Sitting with the wall behind them and their faces to the door was a habit
McLaren kept from his days as a working detective. And it was one habit he was
in no rush to break.
Jamie set his glass mug on a
cardboard beer mat and leaned forward slightly. The reddish streaks in his otherwise
brown hair shone under the overhead light. “Congrats on solving the murder of
your uncle’s first fiancée, by the way. Do you like his new bride? What’s her
name?”
“Karen. And yes, I like her.
I wasn’t too sure when I first met her, but she has a lot of inner strength.
She’s good for him.”
“And where are you off to
now?”
“Linnden.”
“That’s not far. Near
Hartington, isn’t it? On the River Dove?”
“Yeah. Small place. And it
sounds like an odd case. The woman, Victoria Childs, doesn’t know who else to
turn to for help.”
“So, she turns to you.”
Jamie smiled, his eyebrow raised. “She’s made a brilliant choice.”
McLaren let the comment pass
unanswered. “She wants me to find the killer of her fiancé. His name’s Craig
Saxton. He was an artist, quite prominent in the local area, though you
couldn’t swear it by me.”
“You frequent art galleries
only when your sister has something to exhibit.”
McLaren nodded, his fingers
sliding down the sides of his glass. “Anyway, this Craig Saxton had been
missing for one and a half days. His body was found against the sluice gate in
the river.”
“Not good.”
McLaren snorted at the
understatement. “He was also missing his right hand.”
Buy link
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AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
A
month-long trip to England during her college years introduced Jo to the joys
of Things British. Since then, she
has been lured back nearly a dozen times, and lived there during her
professional folk singing stint.
This intimate knowledge of Britain forms the backbone of both the Peak
District mysteries and the McLaren cold case mystery series.
Jo’s insistence for
accuracy, from police methods and location layout to the general feel of the
area, has driven her innumerable times to Derbyshire for research. These explorations and conferences with
police friends provide the detail filling the books.
In 1999 Jo returned to
Webster University to major in English.
She graduated in 2001 with a BA degree and departmental honors.
Her cat Tennyson shares her
St. Louis home.
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Review:
3.5 out of 5 stars
Empty Handed by Jo A. Hiestand is part of the ‘McLaren
Mysteries’ series. It follows the former Inspector as he wrestles with a new
cold case at the request of the victim’s bereaved fiancee. The small village of
Linnden seems peaceful, but the undercurrents may prove deadly to the unwary.
This British mystery story showcases Michael McLaren as he
reluctantly takes on a case that requires expertise from both his past and
current occupations. As the story unfolds, there are primarily a couple of
viewpoints being used, with a brief foray into another character’s point of
view, which was a little jarring for me, especially since it seemed a bit
forced and wasn’t really pursued,
I enjoy the
opportunity to armchair travel and this story gave me a nice image of a
picturesque region but I’m not quite sure I have a feel for what the town looks
like and I’m surprised that it is large enough for an art gallery, but perhaps
that is typical for the countryside. I wish there were more scenes that showcased the multiple
breeds of dogs because I was intrigued by their presence but never got a feel
for them as other than watchdogs or nuisances.
I was surprised that McLaren was so casual about certain
events that endangered him and it seemed to me that he neglected to use some of
the procedures that would have been standard responses (e.g. reporting an
assault) and I wasn’t sure why. I’m delighted that McLaren’s friend Jamie still
has his back although I expected him to be called in sooner when one of the
major events transpired.
This series continues to provide an entertaining look at a
different lifestyle and although this story isn’t my favorite, it should appeal
to those who enjoy getting a taste of British investigation techniques or
glimpses of life in a small hamlet of the English countryside.
A copy of this title was provided to me for review
