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Reviewer: Little excitement in 'No Escape'
'No Escape'
by James D. Brewer
Walker and Co., $22.95
Review by Ann Hastings
(CNN) -- "No Escape" is part of a mystery series with a unique twist. This series, unlike most, is set in the post-Civil War era and in this installment the action takes place in Memphis. The Big River Detective Agency consists of riverboat captain Luke Williamson, and his partners Masey Baldridge and Salina Tyner.
The author uses the same premise as author Caleb Carr -- a detective agency made up of numerous partners, one of which is a woman. The book is well researched and you get a good feel for what Memphis must have been like during a yellow fever epidemic in 1873.
There are two mysterious deaths and allegations of embezzlement involving the local charity organization. This same organization is the only source of aid to the victims of the fever. The idea is great; how to stop a city already in panic from spinning further out of control. The book, though, is not as interesting as the idea. The characters are involved in a lot of conversations and there isn't much action.
By the time you reach the end of the book, you may not care who is behind the mystery. The answer to the crime is known before the end of the book and the resolution of the crime is anticlimactic. The author makes a good effort on research but the book just isn't that suspenseful.
Ann Hastings taught history for three years before joining CNN NewsSource as an archivist.
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