Rainer Maria Rilke

"Live a while in these books, learn from them what seems to you worth learning, but above all love them. This love will be repaid you a thousand and a thousand times, and however your life may turn,-it will, I am certain of it, run through the fabric of your growth as one of the most important threads among all the threads of your experiences, disappointments, and joys."--Rainer Maia Rilke


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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

An Old-Fashioned Detective Story

The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir
(Adult Mystery)

Old-fashioned gumshoe detective stories are really things of the past.  Modern stories are all CSI-ish with crime labs and fingerprints and all that technological stuff that makes solving a crime really hard for the average reader.  Not so with this story.  It is a throwback to the good, old days of Raymond Chandler and other masters of the art of sleuthing.

The story centers around Ray, who used to be a cop.  An injury from a gunshot wound has him off the force and making other plans for a living and he isn't handling the change well.  He's cranky and mean to those around him and he drinks-a lot.  There are only two people who seem to be able to tolerate him:  1. an assistant, a young man who lives with him and does all the muscle work.  he appears to be semi-literate and is being tutored by 2.  a Bible-thumper from Ray's past who wants to convert him and is being quite successful, although she doesn't know it.

Ray is called in on a case of business theft.  The thief is a rogue cop and Ray has to solve the case before the theft turns to murder.  As he digs deeper, he finds that the business isn't quite as clean as first thought.

While I really liked the story, I loved the ending!  A last minute curve ball really threw me and for someone who is into mysteries like me, that is hard to do.

If you like old-fashioned detective stories, give this one a go.  It's a fun read and a throwback to an era in mysteries that I miss.  If you want the glitz and glamour of CSI, look elsewhere.

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