Edgar Nominees – 2015

January is time for the Edgar Award nominations. Of course, true to form, I’ve read relatively few, but here are my thoughts on the few I did read.

Best Novel:

Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash – Unlike his previous book, The Land More Kind than Home, I didn’t love Dark Road to Mercy. I’d be interested in your views.

 

 

 

Cop Town by Karin Slaughter – I really liked Cop Town I thought it was well written and a great story. Not only does it have a murder, but it deals with sexual inequality, bigotry and religious  bias.

 

 

 

I must admit though, that there are books published in 2014 by Bruce DeSilva (Providence Rag), John Harvey (Darkness, Darkness), Archer Mayer (Proof Positive), for example, that should have been on the list.

 

Best First Novel:

Invisible City by Julia Dahl – This is the only one I read from the list and I loved it. The story was unique. The characters were good. I love mysteries set in New York. Great all around. By all means it is worthy.

 

 

Best Young Adult Mystery:

Fake ID by Lamar Giles – As with Invisible City, Fake ID was the only Young Adult Mystery I read that was nominated. Again it is totally worthy.

 

 

 

So along with a 50 best all time mystery list, I now have a whole new list to work through. I’m betting you do as well.

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This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash

Let me start by saying that I don’t like graphic violence in anything-books, tv, movies-and unfortunately This Dark Road to Mercy had some. I ended up skipping a few small chapters, anticipating it. Written by the author of A Land More Kind Than Home, Wiley Cash, I must say I liked his first book much better than his second, even disregarding the violence.

Easter, aged 12 and her sister Ruby, aged seven, are abducted from their foster home by their estranged dad, Wade Chesterfield, a minor league pitcher gone bad. More dumb than malevolent, he steals a substantial amount of money from a local thug, hijacks his kids (of whom he gave up custody many years earlier) and is on the run, wanting to ‘make a life with his daughters’. He’s being followed by a hired killer who is being well paid to get the money back and make Wade disappear.

However, the girls’ guardian ad litem, Brady Weller, a former detective who has problems of his own, is truly on their case, hoping to make sure the girls return safe and sound.

This Dark Road to Mercy has great characters who are well fleshed out. Easter is a girl who is smarter, more cynical than she should be at twelve years old. Her younger sister acts just like a seven year old wanting her daddy. Wade is great as a conniving, not too bright, man, looking for a fast buck and an easy out. Finally, Brady is a divorced man, estranged from his wife, trying to maintain a relationship with a 16 year old daughter. Every parent can understand the trials and tribulations of that.

The characters are the strong point in what is an average story. A Land More Kind Than Home had a unique story, great characters and was thought provoking. It’s hard to follow such a different book. It’s not that I disliked This Dark Road to Mercy. It’s just that I didn’t love it.

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