Critical Mick

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Murder Off the Books
Evelyn David
Echelon Press, 2007

Your Only Cup of Tea

So begins the debut novel in the Sullivan Investigations Mystery series, Murder Off the Books. The titular books are the financial accounts of Washington DC's fictional Concordia College, or perhaps the accounts receivable of the O'Herlihy Funeral home. The novel's heroine, Rachel Brenner balances the latter while her fugitive brother was responsible for the former- until the murder of his boss, Vince Malwick, and investigation into missing hundreds of thousands.

The hunt for Rachel's brother, Dan Thayer, is at the center of Evelyn David's novel. Amid allegations of financial monkeying, Dan was heard arguing with the soon-to-be-deceased comptroller. The cops are looking for Thayer to answer how he could afford the recent series of expensive gifts he had been giving. A private detective, Mackenzie 'Mac' Sullivan has been hired by the college's insurance company regarding the same. Rachel (whom Mac has under surveillance in- of all things- an ice cream truck, when he first meet him) is chasing around in the middle of the night trying to find Dan Thayer, and her eighteen-year-old son Sam and his buddies have their own search underway. When Dan does momentarily appear (in drag!), he intimates that his own investigation involves trying to track down the real killer and clear his name. When not developing the romantic subplot, most of Murder Off the Books involves one group or another in Dan's pursuit.

Clues are unearthed, the odd body pops up, and there are plenty of chases and confrontations between Mac and his former colleagues on the DC police. In the spirit of Janet Evanovich, many of the situations are amusingly bizarre and all the characters quirky. A minor baddie wears a hat shaped like a cockroach and Mac's pursuit is carried out in a progression of unusual begged, borrowed and stolen vehicles. Almost everyone is Irish-American- even Mac's sidekick, a 125-pound Irish Wolfhound named Whiskey. Whiskey provides comic relief, performs a rescue, bites the ass off an intruder's pants, and is placed in mortal peril. It would look great on the TV screen.

Sure, there is a little blood and an occasional four-letter word. Still, without explicit sex or violent anarchy, Murder Off the Books is an all-audiences mystery like The Four Courts Murder rather than to a gore-drenched thriller like The Mermaids Singing by Val McDermid. TV-PG, prime time viewing. In fact, the whole novel does have a very visual, TV feel. There's a big confession at the end which ties up all loose threads and little close-ups and teaser shots throughout feel very Hart to Hart or Murder She Wrote.

Most readers, attracted by the shoes on the cover, will probably identify with middle-aged divorcee Rachel. My favourite character was Mac's self-appointed secretary JJ, a punk-rock computer whiz who used to work part-time at Concordia. She had spirit, brains, and initiative. Also, I pictured her as a bit of a hottie.

My crush aside, Murder Off the Books would have felt leaner and clearer without so many characters. Sam and his fellow teenaged sleuths (alas, maybe including my beloved JJ) should have spent their time at a frat party instead. Mac and Rachel were probably the only two investigative threads needed to entertainingly cross paths, tangle up, develop knots and ultimately weave into a strong flow of plotline.

More could have been made of the D.C. setting, as well. The characters do encounter one protest march, but otherwise the city did not have distinct presence. None of the landmarks were included, nor the electricity, local customs, or issues. A little taste of DC Noir would have been picturesque.

Finally, I've got to admit: I did not spot the murderer. The revelation came as a bit of a surprise.

Critical Mick says: though I am a beer man, I am never one to turn down Whiskey. For readers who are less tickled by hardboiled procedurals than by quirky private eyes riding around in wacky exterminator vans with their pooches, Murder Off the Books and the Sullivan Investigations Mystery series are your only cup of tea.

Rock on, JJ! Murder Off the Books would have been interesting if you had been the baddie like I had been thinking you were.

Want to know more? Read Critical Mick's May 2007 interview with Marian Edelman Borden and Rhonda Dossett- together known as "Evelyn David.".

Yo! This review and all content on the DFA Guide site are copyright 2007 Mick Halpin. All links to other sites and documents are copyright to whatever source wrote something cool enough for Mick to give it a referral. Try to claim them as your own work and bad karma will catch up with you, baby. Believe it.

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This Page Was Last Updated On 28 May, 2007.