Sunday, February 16, 2014

Lie in the Dark by Dan Fesperman

Ever wondered just what a homicide detective would do during a time of war? Heck, most all autopsy reports would list the cause of death as 'war' unless a victim was a certain someone with some leverage in government. Wouldn't look good for a fledgling government to have its own secret police conduct the investigation of the death of the head of said secret police, especially when the U.N. is breathing down everyone's neck.

That's what Inspector Vlado Petric faces in Sarajevo during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. They've not been too busy because the Interior Ministry, home of the Secret Police, has been handling most everything. When its head is killed at close range, not by the usual route - a sniper, the new head thinks it best for an independent investigation in required and calls in Vlado and his partner, Damir to do a quick, quiet, but thorough investigation . . . and by the way, here are the names of 4 reliable informants who should be able to help.

Each of the informants say essentially the same thing - the vic got involved in smuggling (meat, cigarettes, gasoline, alcohol, take your pick), pissed someone off when he wanted a bigger cut and got whacked for his insolence.

Too neat, too tidy, too rehearsed. Vlado believes the profits from smuggling those items, valuable though they were, just wasn't enough to lure in the former Secret Police head. Vlado thinks that either the goods were far more valuable or that the victim was doing some investigation on his own, not telling anyone because no one inside the government could be trusted. Some dogged police work doesn't determine which is the case, but does reveal the product is indeed far, far more valuable and profitable that meat, cigs, gas, or booze . . . and far, far more dangerous than the odd sniper on a hillside.

This is the 5th Fesperman title reviewed here at MRB . . . and to find that tidbit out, I also find that West Coast Don reviewed this 2000 copyright book in August 2012 . . . don't even know our own product, but i did find different cover art. No matter. I've read 5 books by Fesperman, but still won't put him in my power rotation. He presents the sense of loss and futility of the Sarajevo residents trying to exist while a war goes on around them that is trying to fix affronts to the various heritages that began hundreds upon hundreds of years ago. Heck, we Americans think that the Hatfields and McCoys carried on for a long time. Their little squabble was a back yard spitting match compared to the Croats vs. the Serbs. Despite the constant shelling, snipers, and land mines, the locals manage to scratch out a meager and depressing existence while waiting for the day of a truce. It's this despair that Fesperman paints in dreary grays and blacks under the clouds of dirt and scrum of life that at best provides only intermittent running water and weak instant coffee.

Echoing WCD's summary - you bet, this is a dreary story, and he gave up on it. I wasn't enthralled, but I did want to find out how Fesperman brought it all home. I'll keep looking into Fesperman. Hey, I know what I'm getting myself in for. And I find his stories set in war-torn Bosnia kind of interesting.

East Coast Don



1 comment:

  1. East Coast Don, would there be a way I can contact you via email? My email is rcowriting at gmail.com

    I read your blogger profile that you work at Duke. I'm a graduate of Duke Law and recently completed a legal thriller titled Hallways in the Night.

    Based upon your genre preferences, and what other reviewers have said about the book, I think you would enjoy the book.

    I've made the first three chapters available on my blog rcoleary.com and would love to find out if there is a submission process for having a book reviewed on Menreadingbooks.

    Thanks so much and enjoy this week when Durham becomes the capital of the college basketball world for 48 hours. I would love to be in Durham (and grab some General Tso's at Neo China while there) for this weekend. Can't wait for either the UNC or Syracuse game.

    Respectfully yours,

    RC O'Leary

    ReplyDelete