Monday, November 17, 2008 9:36 PM CST
BOOK REVIEW: 'Dakota' and 'Dust' By Martha Grimes
Review by Juanita Sherwood
These two books by Martha Grimes are so different from each other that it is hard to believe that the same author wrote them. “Dakota,” out in hardback, is set in the upper Great Plains, and “Dust,” in paperback, is set in Great Britain.
The main character in “Dakota” is a young woman named Andi Oliver — so she says. Andi has amnesia and is not sure what her name is, which is not as lame as it sounds. Her memory reverts only to awakening in a bed-and-breakfast in Santa Fe. She has traveled here and there alone, trying to recapture her memory through touching on something that might trigger its return.
The initials AO were on her backpack, so she appropriates them for the name. As she travels, she makes up information about herself when queried about her past.
When we first meet Andi, we learn that she has a great love for animals as she rescues a donkey that is forgotten and in need. We later see this love in her actions toward horses on a ranch, where she begins staying and is then employed.
Eventually, she investigates a pork production facility near the ranch by working there; her concern for animals is illustrated even more in this situation.
The setting in this book makes it appealing, and the characters are varied and true to place.
Andi’s dilemma regarding her identity gives rise to hope that this mystery can be solved for her, and her love and concern for animals make the reader feel she is a person worth knowing.
Unknown to Andi, someone is following her in her travels, which adds to the suspense —and is perhaps fodder for another book featuring her.
Incidentally, you might want to skip ham, bacon or other pork products for a time after reading this one.
“Dust,” also by Martha Grimes, involves a totally different setting and character. It is one of the Richard Jury series set in Great Britain.
Jury is a superintendent in the New Scotland Yard who has a keen mind and an over-active libido. He is single, so no infidelity is involved, but reading about his conquests can become a bit tiresome.
A young man employed by a hotel discovers a dead body in a suite when he delivers after-dinner coffee. He panics and calls his friend Jury, who has befriended and offered his assistance in the past.
Jury speeds to the scene, where he meets a beautiful detective with the local police who will also work the case. Guess where this will lead ...
The murder victim is a young man from a wealthy, well-respected family, although some members of such are a bit eccentric.
The investigation shows that the victim, Billy Maples, was a patron of the arts, who perhaps supported struggling artists, and was working as a caretaker at author Henry James’s home in Rye.
Jury engages a friend to replace Maples in his former position at the James home, where the friend and Jury finally solve the case, the roots of which go back to World War II.
If you like detective stories set in Great Britain, then try the Richard Jury series. “Dust” was first published in ’07 and appeared on the best-seller list.
“Dakota” was published this past year. It would appeal to those readers who enjoy learning about a different setting and lifestyle than that offered in the Midwest. It also offers empathy for those creatures that are at the mercy of man.
If you like Andi, you might also want to read “Biting the Moon,” which first featured her.
Sherwood of Charleston is a retired reading teacher.
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