Review - Murder at the Ocean Forest

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Murder at The Ocean Forest, Robert "Digger" Cartwright, 2006, ISBN 1425707696

This is a murder mystery set in World War II-era South Carolina. It is about a husband and wife who would have been better off never getting married to each other.

Terence and Faye Underwood are traveling by train to the Ocean Forest, a very high-class resort right on the shore. Faye thinks that Terence is a serial adulterer, constantly looking for women with which to have illicit affairs, despite his constant protestations to the contrary. They are both members of high society, so divorce, let alone raising their voices in argument where others might hear them, is simply not an option; the scandal would be overwhelming.

A few days later, Terence goes off by himself quail hunting, while Faye goes horseback riding along the beach. Several hours later, the horse returns without her. A diligent search along the beach is made, led by Feltus le Bon, the hotel detective. Faye's red scarf, along with some blood, is found near a patch of quicksand. The next day, Terence is coerced into showing Feltus exactly where he was hunting. It turns out to be just a few yards from the quicksand. It would have been very easy for Terence to shoot Faye with the shotgun he was carrying, and dump her in the quicksand, freeing him to have as many illicit affairs as he can handle. Things get complicated the next morning when, serving an arrest warrant on Terence, Feltus finds him in bed, murdered.

Investigating further, Feltus focuses his attention on Preacher Cooper, a priest involved in illicit activities, Elizabeth Bascomb, an elderly, blind psychic, and Lord and Lady Ashburn, visiting from England, all of whom have very good reasons for wanting Terence Underwood dead. Feltus tries several ways to ratchet up the pressure, hoping that the guilty party will crack. While all this is going on, the area is battered by a major hurricane.

This is a really good mystery, but I thought that it moved too slowly. The first death does not occur until almost halfway into the book. I understand what the author was trying to do, and totally agree that not all murder mysteries have to move at breakneck speed. The author certainly knows what he is doing; I guess I would have liked it more if the first half of the story moved a little faster than it did.

Paul Lappen is a freelance book reviewer whose blog, http://www.deadtreesreview.blogspot.com/, emphasizes small press and self-published books.

Death of a Kingfisher By MC Beaton

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Ms. Beaton has hit another doozy on the head with this latest Hamish Macbeth mystery. Set again in sleepy Lochdubh in the Highlands in remote Scotland our fearless cop is faced with more unsavoury people. His police station has also been invaded by another policeman whom headquarters is trying to get rid of without having to fire. Said policeman is older and ready to retire but is more than happy to sit around and do nothing, well except eat, which he is wanting to do continually. Macbeth has to continually berate him and send him on errands and jobs to see to the wellbeing of the townsfolk. In the end this copper turns out to be more of an asset with his tendency to hear about gossip in and around town and therefore hear about several goings on well before Macbeth does.

Macbeth has to call on newcomers to the villages as well as check on old timers. His work takes him to a newcomer who has a strong Highland lilt. It seems she was born and raised from even further north and has come back after the death of her husband. He has left her very well off and she has bought a huge home. At this time her two grandchildren are visiting her although they do not seem to be either very nice kids or to care much about their granny. When there is some aggro in a nearby glen the first question they ask is if their grandmother has died. Macbeth finds this very disconcerting although he seems to be the only one who does. He tries to keep an eye on the children but other shenanigans prevent that from happening completely.

Macbeth receives a call reporting a murder in the aforementioned glen and rushes out to the scene of the crime. When he arrives he realizes that there is no murder, only the death of some birds in the area. The woman who is renovating the nature preserve is beside herself, apologizes to Hamish and then starts to flirt with him something awful. If you have read any previous Macbeth mysteries then you will know he is a sucker for the ladies. The only thing is he doesn't know when to go the full hog or to stop seeing these women. He never gets around to asking the ones he truly loves to marry him and yet is completely overwhelmed by those who want to get the better of him even if they are married. This one is married and yet seems to be either lying about her relationship with her husband or is trying to fool Macbeth. She definitely succeeds for a while.

As usual we have the flying visits of the lady of the manor, whom Hamish has held a torch for over the years. We also have visits from his previous love who is now a very successful reporter who is scheduled to marry very near in the future. There is the usual murder and mayhem and this time the crimes are a little darker but Hamish does get to the bottom of the mysteries.

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