Friday's Forgotten Books--"Memory Of A Murder" by Earl Staggs

For this week’s “Friday’s Forgotten Books” segment hosted and orchestrated by Patti Abbott, I have selected Earl Stagg’s very enjoyable novel, “Memory Of A murder.” Earl and I are in the same writing group and are friends, but if I had thought his novel stunk, I would have said so then and certainly would now. Earl has absolutely no problem marking up my work and I his, so objectivity isn’t an issue as far as I am concerned. What you, my reader, think is another matter so in the interest of full disclosure I mention it.

This novel was first published years ago by Quiet Storm Publishing. Earl was one of many authors left hanging by the collapse of that publisher. Earl managed to get his rights back and then with a new cover and a tweak here and there, the book came back out a couple of years ago published by Tidewater Press. Earl, when he is not promoting this book, any of his short stories, workshops and appearances, or flirting with the ladies, swears that there is a sequel planned and in the works.

There better be…..

Former FBI Agent Adam Kingston has made a bit of a name for himself since he left the bureau. Thanks to a rather freakish accident, he has the ability to touch objects connected to individuals and see what has happened to people---a sort of remote viewing. Such talent comes in handy at times, especially when the mother of his godson asks Adam to check on him.

Other than a brief image of a strange unkempt longhaired bearded man, Adam Kingston sees that everything is fine with Junior. Random images often drift into the viewing of the person he is concentrating on, so he isn’t that concerned about the man. But then the vision of the strange man appears in the flesh on his doorstep seeking Adam’s help. Suffering from amnesia, the man who gives his name as Chip Weathers believes he may have committed a murder. He has seen news reports of a body that was recently discovered buried in a basement in Baltimore. The woman died approximately sixteen years ago, which was about the same time as his amnesia. According to Chip, the doctors blame his amnesia on the shock of a tragic event. Chip believes he knew the woman and killed her and wants Adam to find out who she was and why he killed her.

In Baltimore, Detective Brenda McCort has her hands full. Not only is she working the female body in the basement case, she now has another body to deal with. “This time, a man shot, wrapped in black plastic trashbags and left in the trunk of a car.” (Chapter 2) He hasn’t been dead long and won’t be the last, as her cases will lead her to Ocean City and Adam’s case. Not only will they have to solve a sixteen-year-old murder case, but stop a new wake of killings based on the past.

Shifting in point of view from Adam, to Brenda, to a killer who enjoys the work way too much, this novel moves forward at a rapid pace. Both primary characters have suffered major traumas making the past a heavy and recurrent theme in the work. At the same time, both have survived and by being rich in such detail, become very real to the readers. So too is the killer who, unlike in many novels, is not a cold calculating unfeeling killing machine. While he may be a product that showcases the worst society has to offer, his motivations are clear and realistic and the killer becomes just as real for the reader.

As in a few other offerings I have had the pleasure of reading from this publisher, this is a quality work. The characters are real, the story complex and changing, and Mr. Staggs performs an excellent piece of literary deception that keeps readers guessing to the end. Fans of his numerous short stories will not be disappointed and neither will those new to his work.

Memory Of A Murder
By Earl Staggs
Cornell Maritime Press/ Tidewater Publishers
http://www.quietstormpublishing.com/
April 2008

ISBN# 978-0-8703-3604-1

http://www.cmptp.com/individual_memory.htm

Paperback

265 Pages
ARC

Material provided by the author in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2005, 2010