In another break from her Lydia Chin/Bill Smith mystery series, Rozan has chosen the last big parcel of NYC owned land as the focus of her latest mystery. Three Star is developing a Bronx project (Mott Haven) to prove it has the capacity to tackle the last city owned parcel in the Bronx. Garden Walls, a community organization comprised of black businessmen, bankers and clergy, wants the project thrown their way rather than be given to rich white men seeking to gentrify Harlem at the expense of its black residents.
A series of accidents, including the death of a black woman, at Mott Haven result in the Department of Investigations officer Ann Montgomery being assigned to the case. Montgomery’s partner (Joe Cole) had been convicted 3 years earlier of investigative fraud, is now out on parole and living upstate. Montgomery has a lifelong antipathy to devloper Walter Glybenthal, the only publicly known partner in Three Star.
The narrative travels back and forth between Harlem, Manhatten and upstate New York, following Ann in her investigation. Insurance fraud, murder, political corruption, rogue law enforcement are all elements of a plot that gathers steam as the layers of deceit unfold.
Montgomery suffers from the willfulness of most female investigators in pursuit of their prey, though I only once found myself wanting to shake her for going off on her own - disregarding the other players helping to trap her villain. Justice of a kind is done and the ending holds a surprise. Rozan writes a good story, and gardens provide a nice background for the good guys.
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Aggie Cotter has mixed feelings about her new job at Murkmere. Though she was loathing the idea of wasting her life in the village as a spinner, upon her arrival at Murkmere’s imposing gates, her future there seems somewhat less exotic and a little more frightening.
Even though the handsome Silas Seed is the one to open said gates for here, she finds herself unable to enter, for fear of the rooks nesting on the grounds. Silas reminds her that rooks nesting near a place are an omen of good luck, and while pondering the contradictions within the Table of Significance, Aggie enters the estate and follows him to the house.
Immediately, she sense that life here will not be overly pleasant. The housekeeper seems to have taken an immediate dislike to her, and most of the rest of the household staff have the same air about them. All but the little girl Scuff.
As for Miss Leah, whom she has been employed to be companion to, their first encounter involved Leah telling Aggie to pack her things and get out.
The Master of course disagrees, setting Leah into even more of a huff, but she manages to tolerate Aggie, and eventually they even form a friendship. Sadly, when Aggie takes drastic measures to protect Leah from dangers she can’t see, she loses her hard-won friendship. Life at Murkmere then becomes desolate indeed.
Aggie continues to try to watch over Leah as best she can, even though the girl wants little to do with her. With the Master’s health failing and Leah’s birthday ball upcoming, there is much to be done around the manner. With her hard work, Aggie seems to work her way slowly back into Leah’s good graces. Still, for all their hard work an planning, the big day ends in disaster. And not only for Aggie and Leah–much ill also befalls those who had been plotting against them.
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Picking up not long after the wars have ended, this latest Book of Bayern tells the tale of two countries trying to restore themselves to peace.
Bayern is uncomfortable with the idea presented to them–that Tira would like to send an ambassador to stay with them, and would like the Bayern to do the same. But as Queen, Isi feels she must try. After all, it’s easy to consider someone an enemy when you know nothing of them. It’s harder when you know they could be a friend.
Razo, who often questions his position in the King’s Own, as do the rest of the Own, is chosen to be among the 50 Bayern to make the trip. Much to his dismay, his friend Enna is chosen as well. After her part in the war, Razo feels this is unwise, but Enna feels she needs to go, and Isi seems to agree.
Razo finds his misgivings come to life early into their journey. While wandering around the camp where they awaited the Tiran, he stumbled upon a body burnt to a crisp. He tells only Captain Talone, who helps him to dump it in the river.
Now even more worried about his friend, Razo’s fate turns even bleaker when the Tiran arrive, and a fight immediately ensues.
The soldier who stabs him is left behind to starve, but his friend is still with them, and most definitely would waste no opportunity to finish what his companion had started.
Indeed, many more attacks on the Bayern are attempted while they stay in Tira. And more mysterious burned bodies found. Razo, set to spy the answers out by Talone, is in a race against time, trying to prove his old friend isn’t part of all the evil. He hopes equally that his new one isn’t either.
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