The
Detective & the Chinese High Fin: A John Darvelle Mystery by
Michael Craven (Harper Paperbacks, 2016, 336 Pages, $10.87/8.99) is a
first person narrative from the point of view of the title character
John Darvelle, a private detective who enjoys his job and is good at
it. He practices the skills he needs by going to the gun range to
practice, running and swimming to keep in shape, and sharpening his
reflexes through playing ping-pong against the wall at high speed.
Meanwhile, he brings his experiences and wide-ranging resources to
bear on his cases.
The story begins
with Darvelle being called to solve the mystery of what happened to
the thoroughly unpleasant, elderly rich Mrs. Murial Dreen's
engagement ring. This quickly solved job both introduces the reader
to Darvelle and establishes some of his skills, both interpersonal
and investigative, while opening the door to the larger mystery of
the book. Darvelle receives a call from police lieutenant Mike Ott
asking him to look into a cold case, the murder of Keaton Helton, a
thoroughly unlikable son of wealthy parents who, after years of
angering everyone he knows or is related to, is killed in his
driveway with one shot. Every possible suspect has an air-tight
alibi. Darvelle enters into a world he doesn't know and begins his
investigation. Incidentally, the chinese high fin of the the title
turns out to be a very expensive tropical fish. The plot is tight,
the action convincing, and Darvelle believable.
As the complex plot
develops, Craven explores elements of Darvelle's interests in side
comments enriching the book. Target practice, mentors like Jim
Douglas, who taught him to fight, and Marlon the Marlin a former mob
guy, living out his dream on a boat he never leaves after retiring
from the mob are colorful, well drawn characters who enrich the
narrative. Keaton Helton's acquaintances (he had no friends) and
family, all with solid alibis and reason to wish him dead, appear as
human, truly angry, and innocent. John's comments enliven the story
as he drives through the neighborhoods and small cities surrounding
Los Angeles. His passion for Ping Pong, his love for swimming, his
delight in small details all provide information about John Darvelle
as a person as well as his work as a detective. They seem to be
presented organically, without too much interjection from the
narrator. I suppose that's why I favor first person narratives over
third person, so-called objective. As the reader, I know and
understand what's happening as it happens within the narrative. If he
reflects on his background, experiences, and feelings, they seem to
emerge from his present situation. All this contributes to good
storytelling with narrative drive.
Michael Craven is the sort of detective
fiction writer who hits a reader right at the opening and then keeps
driving through the narrative. He reveals his plot and characters
organically as the story emerges; there's no sense of artifice, of
writerliness, or craft, just good story telling, which says that all
the foregoing are included, but don't interfere with the story. That
quality is scarce and turns good stories into wonderful experiences.
While the story and the detective are nothing like any of Timothy
Hallinan's characters, Darvelle reminds me of him. Darvelle doesn't
take time with lengthy exposition, his descriptions grow from his
experiences and the incidents he becomes involved with. He uses
dialogue exceptionally well to reveal the situation and character.
Darvelle is sharply drawn, likable, highly skilled, and a little
quirky. His musings on life, his experiences, and his analysis of the
story as it emerges come from within the character and never seem
forced.
Michael Craven
Michael Craven has been a freelance
advertising writer and creative director serving many national
accounts. He is the author of two previous books, Body
Copy and The Detective & the
Pipe Girl (the first title in this series), nominated for both
the Nero Wolfe and Shamus Awards. Michael was born in New York City,
grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, lived for many years in Los
Angeles, and is now back in New York City where he lives and works.
The
Detective & the Chinese High Fin: A John Darvelle Mystery by
Michael Craven (Harper Paperbacks, 2016, 336 Pages, $10.87/8.99) does
an excellent job of building a likable character and engaging him in
an intriguing mystery. The plot is convoluted, the clues present but
not obvious, a good distraction, as well as a surprising and
satisfactory resolution. I've already bought the two precursor books
to this one, and look forward to following Michael Craven as he
further develops his character and his own skill. I bought the book
at Amazon.com
for reading on my Kindle
app.
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