“Given the right set of
circumstances I think we're all capable of doing bad.” (Page 289)
The right set of
circumstances has come together in this second novel from author Tricia Fields
following last year's powerful debut The Territory. In fact, “the right
set of circumstances” happens over and over again in a variety of ways
resulting in numerous life and death situations as well as plenty of good old
fashioned luck. In fact, it happens so often at precisely the right time, there
is a strong hint of deus ex machina
at work throughout the book.
“The right set of
circumstances” happens from early on when Police Chief Josie Gray leaves home
at noon in the June heat to begin her shift. On her way to the station, she
decides to stop for a few minutes at the nearby watch tower. She climbs the
tower at random times so she can evaluate the local area of the Chihuahuan
Desert and keep eyes on Piedra Labrada, the staging point for recent cartel
violence that crossed the border and rocked the small southwest Texas border
town of Artemis. Things have calmed down for now, but memories are very fresh,
and the 33 year old police chief expects the violence to flare again at any
time.
As she drove toward the
watch tower, Chief Gray didn't expect to find the car of former jail employer
Cassidy Harper parked nearby on Scratchgravel Road. Cassidy is a decent enough
person, but, she has made a few bad decisions and that includes the man in her
life. She seems to have made another as she left her car and apparently walked
off into the desert under a blistering noonday sun. Chief Gray heads off road
and into the desert with her jeep and soon finds an unconscious Cassidy. She
also finds her lying next to a man who clearly has been dead for days.
That discovery, a runaway
teenage daughter of a fellow office, and the start of a monsoon season that
breaks 100 year flood records are just some of the many factors at work in this
complicated second novel of the series. While the heavy rains depicted in this
novel may strike native Texans such as myself as way over the top as they
simply do not happen the way they are depicted, the rest of the novel featuring
multiple storylines works well. Josie remains a strong and interesting
character and a number of secondary characters are allowed to bring forth their
own rich and varied perspectives in Scratchgravel Road. That character development
further brings to life the small town while also adding depth and complexity to
those involved. While not nearly as good as The Territory the novel
does work fairly well and keeps the reader entertained.
Scratchgravel Road: A Mystery
Tricia Fields
Minotaur Books (A Thomas Dunne
Book)
March 2013
ISBN# 978-1-250-02136-6
Hardback (also available as e-book
and audio)
310 Pages
$24.99
Material supplied by the good
folks of the Plano Texas Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2013
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