Review: "The Play of Light and Shadow" by Barry Ergang (Guest Reviewer Patrick Ohl)

Guest reviewer Patrick Ohl steps in today to give his thoughts on The Play of Light and Shadow by Barry Ergang. While I link to the book on Amazon (like my own stuff) the book is also available at Barnes and Noble and Smashwords. On to the review....

The Play of Light and Shadow is narrated by Dr. Alan Driscoll, a university professor on sabbatical. Tired of the monotony of departmental politics, he gets an interim job as bartender where he meets private eye Darnell, and discovers in him a fellow lover of literature.

Meanwhile, Dr. Barton Gaines, a colleague of Driscoll's and the Chairman of the Art History Department, has purchased a painting entitled "Nomad" by one Charles Riveau, a celebrated painter who once specialised in forgeries and theft. Riveau's ex-partner in crime, Paul Marchand, is a shadowy figure who reminds me a lot of the insane Laurent from John Dickson Carr's It Walks by Night – both men are shadowy figures, nobody knows what they look like, and they are known only by a French surname which might not even be their real name. Mere mention of them is enough to send a chill down one’s spine. The French police have no record of Marchand anywhere, but he and Riveau collaborated in daring thefts and forgeries for years. Riveau ended up going to prison, and once released he wanted nothing further to do with Marchand, which understandably cheesed him off, though his wrath is somewhat excessive: he vows to destroy Riveau’s fame, stealing all the artist's paintings from galleries all over the world and destroying them.

Naturally, this has Dr. Gaines worried, especially as he is planning to introduce his new acquisition at a party for family and friends, and Marchand has a tendency to snatch paintings on similar occasions. But Driscoll brings the problem to Darnell, who agrees to play babysitter for the painting during the party. Darnell stands outside the windowless gallery, to which there is only one entrance. A search is made of the gallery, and nothing suspicious is found, so the door is locked; but when the door is unlocked and the guests walk in, "Nomad" has disappeared, as if spirited away by magic.

This story is truly excellent-- I managed to deduce much of the "how" before Darnell unveiled the answer, but I was a complete dunderhead about the "whodunit?" angle. The impossible problem is a very clever one: the solution is neat, some aspects of it are surprising, and it is scrupulously fair in its clueing, virtues that are admirable in any crime story. The plot is solid, interesting, and well-constructed, as Barry decides to make his impossible scenario a theft. Murder will interrupt the proceedings later in the story, but you're given one problem at a time and I think separating the impossible theft from the altogether-*too*-possible murder was a wise move.

I really admire the writing style as well, which is engaging and evocative, such as when the painting "Nomad" is vividly described. This novelette strikes me as a traditionally-told hardboiled story, and it is told very, very well. We have some of the usual staples, such as a rough-necked cop that Darnell contemptuously describes as a cretin. Unlike many modern-day P.I.s, Darnell does not make being an arrogant, whining, hypocritical pain in the derrière a governing principle of his life, and this is a key reason for the story’s success. A hardboiled mystery really requires an engaging detective for it to work, and Darnell delivers the goods.

Another major plus about this story is the dialogue, which is excellent. It is intelligent and the banter is witty and amusing, with some genuinely funny one-liners sneaking their way in there. I particularly enjoyed this reply when the detectives ask someone where photographer Derek Trevor is: "Prob'ly taking pictures of the scull'ry maid. (...) Just what the hell is a scull'ry, and why does it need a maid?"

All things considered, Barry Ergang's The Play of Light and Shadow is a triumph and a real pleasure to read. I highly recommend that fellow mystery fans take a look, as it manages to fuse the impossible crime and the hardboiled story together in an effective and pleasing way. It can be purchased in e-book form for merely $0.99! It's definitely well worth the investment and I applaud Barry for this excellent story.

Can we look forward to a sequel, I wonder? ...

Patrick Ohl ©2013

The nineteen-year-old Patrick Ohl continues to plot to take over the world when he isn’t writing reviews of books he reads on his blog, At the Scene of the Crime. In his spare time he conducts genetic experiments in his top-secret laboratory, hoping to create a creature as terrifying as the Giant Rat of Sumatra in a bid to take over the world. His hobbies include drinking tea and going outside to do a barbecue in -10°C weather.