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Gregor Demarkian #3
Act of Darkness
At a Fourth of July charity fundraiser, politics turns deadly
Stephen Fox may be a moron, but he may also be America’s next president. The dimwitted legislator is just smart enough to know when to smile for the camera. But two women stand in the way of his his mistress and his wife, who has never recovered from the death of their daughter, a pain she manages by devoting herself to fundraising for children with Down syndrome. During a weekend-long charity extravaganza on Long Island Sound, Fox’s candidacy goes off the rails in a spectacularly bloody fashion. Ex-FBI investigator Gregor Demarkian is the first on the scene. Fox’s entourage of political handlers may lie for a living, but Demarkian has a way of ferreting out the truth, and he will nab the killer before the last firework sounds.
Stephen Fox may be a moron, but he may also be America’s next president. The dimwitted legislator is just smart enough to know when to smile for the camera. But two women stand in the way of his his mistress and his wife, who has never recovered from the death of their daughter, a pain she manages by devoting herself to fundraising for children with Down syndrome. During a weekend-long charity extravaganza on Long Island Sound, Fox’s candidacy goes off the rails in a spectacularly bloody fashion. Ex-FBI investigator Gregor Demarkian is the first on the scene. Fox’s entourage of political handlers may lie for a living, but Demarkian has a way of ferreting out the truth, and he will nab the killer before the last firework sounds.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1991
83 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Jane Haddam
55 books133 followersAka Orania Papazoglou
Jane Haddam (b. 1951) is an American author of mysteries. Born Orania Papazoglou, she worked as a college professor and magazine editor before publishing her Edgar Award–nominated first novel, Sweet, Savage Death, in 1984. This mystery introduced Patience McKenna, a sleuthing scribe who would go on to appear in four more books, including Wicked, Loving Murder (1985) and Rich, Radiant Slaughter (1988).
Not a Creature Was Stirring (1990) introduced Haddam’s best-known character, former FBI agent Gregor Demarkian. The series spans more than twenty novels, many of them holiday-themed, including Murder Superior (1993), Fountain of Death (1995), and Wanting Sheila Dead (2005). Haddam’s most recent novels are Blood in the Water (2012) and Hearts of Sand (2013). Wife of William L DeAndrea.
Jane Haddam (b. 1951) is an American author of mysteries. Born Orania Papazoglou, she worked as a college professor and magazine editor before publishing her Edgar Award–nominated first novel, Sweet, Savage Death, in 1984. This mystery introduced Patience McKenna, a sleuthing scribe who would go on to appear in four more books, including Wicked, Loving Murder (1985) and Rich, Radiant Slaughter (1988).
Not a Creature Was Stirring (1990) introduced Haddam’s best-known character, former FBI agent Gregor Demarkian. The series spans more than twenty novels, many of them holiday-themed, including Murder Superior (1993), Fountain of Death (1995), and Wanting Sheila Dead (2005). Haddam’s most recent novels are Blood in the Water (2012) and Hearts of Sand (2013). Wife of William L DeAndrea.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 30, 2021
In this 3rd book in the 'Gregor Demarkian' series, the former FBI agent investigates problems in a political campaign.
The novel is set in the time of Reagan and Nixon, but it could just as easily be happening today. The book works fine as a standalone.
*****
Stephen Fox, Dan Chester, and Kevin DeBrett met in college 25 years ago and made a long-term plan to go into politics. Their roles are as follows:
Fox - good-looking, not too bright, attractive to women - is the candidate;
Chester - cunning, gnomelike, manipulative - is the campaign manager;
DeBrett - smart, self-centered, a physician - helps from the sidelines.
Two decades after college, Fox is a three-term-senator getting ready getting ready to announce his candidacy for President. Stephen is well-positioned for the run because he's relatively popular; his spouse Janet Harte Fox is a 'perfect political wife' who turns a blind eye to his philandering;
And his mother-in-law Victoria Harte is a glamorous celebrity with a Long Island mansion he can use for fund-raising events.
To gear up for Fox's 'big announcement', he's sponsoring a bill that will help children with mental disabilities.
As it happens, Stephen and Janet lost their only child, a baby with Down Syndrome, to crib death. Thus Fox is the perfect figure to push this legislation, which IN REALITY is designed to enrich doctors with clinics for mentally handicapped youngsters....like his friend Kevin DeBrett.
Fox plans a weekend 'seminar' about the legislation at Victoria's estate, and invites people interested in the bill.
Stephen and his colleagues are worried because the Senator has collapsed at three previous political events - and doctors can't pinpoint a cause. Fox's handlers suspect human interference, so Chester asks Gregor Demarkian - who established the Behavioral Analysis Unit at the FBI - to check things out.
Demarkian arrives at Victoria's mansion with a beautiful heiress named Bennis Hannaford, who likes to follow his investigations (no hanky panky). Other people at the Long Island manse include Victoria Harte; Stephen Fox; Janet Harte Fox; Dan Chester, Kevin DeBrett; lobbyist Clare Markey; and Patchen Rawls, a beautiful political groupie who's been having an affair with Stephen. Patchen wants Stephen to divorce his wife and marry her.
Before long there's a mysterious death on the estate, and an FBI agent and the local police show up to investigate.
This incident is soon followed by ANOTHER mysterious death.
The cops can't seem to figure out what happened, so Gregor Demarkian steps up and makes like Hercule Poirot: he interviews suspects, snoops around, sifts clues, and figures out who did what.
This is a mundane mystery with too much boring conversation and too little investigating. That said, the book is worth reading for the entertaining characters, especially Victoria Harte - a former movie star with a discerning eye and sharp tongue; Patchen Rawls - a silly airhead who stalks Stephen and 'casts spells' to capture his heart; and politicians who'd do anything for their personal gain (just like politicians in real life).
This is an okay book to pass a few hours on a quiet afternoon.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
November 28, 2020
This is the third in the Gregor Demarkian mysteries, following on from "Not a Creature was Stirring" and "Precious Blood". The action is mainly set at a political seminar during a Fourth of July weekend where Gregor Demarkian has been asked to investigate why Stephen Whistler Fox, Senator and possible Presidential Candidate, keeps collapsing at public events.
The weekend is supposed to be about the Act in Aid of Exceptional Children, but seems to be more about scoring points on many different levels. Gregor and Bennis (who we first meet in the first book, "Not a Creature Was Stirring") find a house full of people who hold, often long held, grudges against each other; including Fox's mother in law, "the last of the movie stars" Victoria Harte, his wife Janet who has never recovered from the death of her baby daughter, his mistress - the unstable Patchen Rawls, lobbyist Clare Markey and Stephen Fox's closest advisors from his University days; Dan Chester his political manager and Dr Kevin Debrett. In an uncomfortable and tense atmosphere, the scene is set for murder. Gregor already has a phobia about politicians and this weekend is not about to make his feelings change.
I love the Gregor Demarkian books and, although this is not perhaps the best in the series, it is a very good story, with a great cast of characters. My favourite is the vile Patchen Rawls, who is impervious to anybody but herself and who spends her time casting spells and spying at doors. If you wish to read on, the next book in the series is "Quoth the Raven." All the books are capable of being read as stand alone stories, although you might prefer to read the first in the series before this one, as it introduces Bennis Hannaford and many of the characters from Demarkian's Armenian neighbourhood, who feature in most of the novels.
The weekend is supposed to be about the Act in Aid of Exceptional Children, but seems to be more about scoring points on many different levels. Gregor and Bennis (who we first meet in the first book, "Not a Creature Was Stirring") find a house full of people who hold, often long held, grudges against each other; including Fox's mother in law, "the last of the movie stars" Victoria Harte, his wife Janet who has never recovered from the death of her baby daughter, his mistress - the unstable Patchen Rawls, lobbyist Clare Markey and Stephen Fox's closest advisors from his University days; Dan Chester his political manager and Dr Kevin Debrett. In an uncomfortable and tense atmosphere, the scene is set for murder. Gregor already has a phobia about politicians and this weekend is not about to make his feelings change.
I love the Gregor Demarkian books and, although this is not perhaps the best in the series, it is a very good story, with a great cast of characters. My favourite is the vile Patchen Rawls, who is impervious to anybody but herself and who spends her time casting spells and spying at doors. If you wish to read on, the next book in the series is "Quoth the Raven." All the books are capable of being read as stand alone stories, although you might prefer to read the first in the series before this one, as it introduces Bennis Hannaford and many of the characters from Demarkian's Armenian neighbourhood, who feature in most of the novels.
October 21, 2020
Still waiting on an ILL over one year. May have to give up the series but i did so like the little community of characters the author created.
Ok. Finally took 1 1/2 years to get hold of but worth the wait.
Ok. Finally took 1 1/2 years to get hold of but worth the wait.
June 25, 2022
Act of Darkness (The Gregor Demarkian Holiday Series Mysteries) by Jane Haddam.
This is the 3rd in the Demarkian series and my 24th. I've gone back to read the holiday books which I had originally skipped in this wonderful series. It was with great pleasure I reentered the lives of Gregor and Bennis. Their growing relationship and this mystery.
Politics, politics, politics! It's all about politics...or is it? The story is centered on Victoria Hart formerly a well known actress and her estate. It's a gala event with many associated with politics in one way or another gathered together to celebrate the Fourth of July. Senator Stephen Fox is or is supposed to be a main focal point of this affair, but he's the person his manager has created.
Janet Harte Fox is Stephen's wife and Victoria's daughter. Everything and everyone seems to be onboard for this occasion but there is something or someone lurking in the shadows. Something or someone hiding from view.
Jane Haddam has done it again with this evolving murder mystery. My appreciation for this outstanding series will most probably lead me to re-read many of these books when I've finally finished them all the first time.
This is the 3rd in the Demarkian series and my 24th. I've gone back to read the holiday books which I had originally skipped in this wonderful series. It was with great pleasure I reentered the lives of Gregor and Bennis. Their growing relationship and this mystery.
Politics, politics, politics! It's all about politics...or is it? The story is centered on Victoria Hart formerly a well known actress and her estate. It's a gala event with many associated with politics in one way or another gathered together to celebrate the Fourth of July. Senator Stephen Fox is or is supposed to be a main focal point of this affair, but he's the person his manager has created.
Janet Harte Fox is Stephen's wife and Victoria's daughter. Everything and everyone seems to be onboard for this occasion but there is something or someone lurking in the shadows. Something or someone hiding from view.
Jane Haddam has done it again with this evolving murder mystery. My appreciation for this outstanding series will most probably lead me to re-read many of these books when I've finally finished them all the first time.
February 22, 2012
Act of Darkness by Jane Haddam. This book has been sitting in my real, physical To Be Read pile. There is a virtual pile in my head that doesn't bear thinking about, but the physical pile is, if not exactly manageable, at least not mind-boggling. But I've been putting off reading it because I do love the Gregor Demarkian mysteries and I know they grow deeper and more thoughtful as time goes along so I have a great deal of good reading ahead of me, but not enough.
Jane Haddam, whose real name is Oriana Papazoglou, which I like a lot more than her pseudonym, has written 27 of these books, originally called the Holiday Series because the stories took place on holidays: Christmas, Easter (Western, Roman Catholic), and in Act of Darkness, the 4th of July. The next book will take place on Halloween, and the next on St Patrick's Day, and then on Thanksgiving. The books have themes of social criticism, the one at Easter being a discussion of the church and this one being about politicians.
Gregor Demarkian, the Armenian Hercule Poirot as Time Magazine has called him, goes off to Long Island at the beginning of this book with his friend Bennis Hannaford, whom he met in the first mystery, to a fund raising "seminar" at the house of "the last of the real actresses," an Elizabeth Taylor-like woman who is doing this to raise money for her son-in-law, a US senator from Connecticut. Demarkian has been asked to attend by an old friend at the FBI for reasons he is finding difficult to understand.
The senator, Stephen Whistler Fox, and his wife, Janet, were the parents 10 years earlier of a baby with Down's Syndrome. Fox and his college friend Kevin Debrett, who delivered the baby, were purportedly so affected by the child's death they have devoted themselves to passing legislation which will aid in the care of children with Down's and in Debrett's case, running a clinic to deal with the many illnesses such children are prone to and not incidentally making a lot of money. Since a major piece of legistlation is about to be proposed, a lobbyist for a union of workers who care for mentally retarded children is also there, hoping to influence the legislation, which was in part written by Debrett to favor private clinics like his.
The sleazy people in this book happen to be Democrats but that is, I think, a function of the time it was written (it was published in 1991.) It's politicians in general the author is after and the kinds of corruption that occur on both sides of the aisle, and she has some sharp things to say about Republicans and conservatives as well. The author does create a hilarious knee-jerk liberal who relies on her astrologer and meditation to decide everything from what to have for breakfast to whether to pull the plug on her hospitalized mother, who was not in a coma or near death but rather had broken her hip. She is entirely unable to understand why anyone would criticize this euthanasia. "She was old. Why would she want to live?"
I knew from the very beginning who did it, why, and how. Unfortunately, when I got to the end of the book I discovered I was wrong. Which pleased me. It was a convoluted plot with many possible murderers and many possible motives, not to mention a mysterious method of actually committing the murders, all wrapped in a very amusing package. This is a first-rate mystery.
2010 No 31
Jane Haddam, whose real name is Oriana Papazoglou, which I like a lot more than her pseudonym, has written 27 of these books, originally called the Holiday Series because the stories took place on holidays: Christmas, Easter (Western, Roman Catholic), and in Act of Darkness, the 4th of July. The next book will take place on Halloween, and the next on St Patrick's Day, and then on Thanksgiving. The books have themes of social criticism, the one at Easter being a discussion of the church and this one being about politicians.
Gregor Demarkian, the Armenian Hercule Poirot as Time Magazine has called him, goes off to Long Island at the beginning of this book with his friend Bennis Hannaford, whom he met in the first mystery, to a fund raising "seminar" at the house of "the last of the real actresses," an Elizabeth Taylor-like woman who is doing this to raise money for her son-in-law, a US senator from Connecticut. Demarkian has been asked to attend by an old friend at the FBI for reasons he is finding difficult to understand.
The senator, Stephen Whistler Fox, and his wife, Janet, were the parents 10 years earlier of a baby with Down's Syndrome. Fox and his college friend Kevin Debrett, who delivered the baby, were purportedly so affected by the child's death they have devoted themselves to passing legislation which will aid in the care of children with Down's and in Debrett's case, running a clinic to deal with the many illnesses such children are prone to and not incidentally making a lot of money. Since a major piece of legistlation is about to be proposed, a lobbyist for a union of workers who care for mentally retarded children is also there, hoping to influence the legislation, which was in part written by Debrett to favor private clinics like his.
The sleazy people in this book happen to be Democrats but that is, I think, a function of the time it was written (it was published in 1991.) It's politicians in general the author is after and the kinds of corruption that occur on both sides of the aisle, and she has some sharp things to say about Republicans and conservatives as well. The author does create a hilarious knee-jerk liberal who relies on her astrologer and meditation to decide everything from what to have for breakfast to whether to pull the plug on her hospitalized mother, who was not in a coma or near death but rather had broken her hip. She is entirely unable to understand why anyone would criticize this euthanasia. "She was old. Why would she want to live?"
I knew from the very beginning who did it, why, and how. Unfortunately, when I got to the end of the book I discovered I was wrong. Which pleased me. It was a convoluted plot with many possible murderers and many possible motives, not to mention a mysterious method of actually committing the murders, all wrapped in a very amusing package. This is a first-rate mystery.
2010 No 31
August 18, 2013
Spot on! As always, Ms Haddam pens a fast moving. intelligent story with really interesting (and sometimes bizarre characters). I always enjoy the ride.
August 11, 2016
OK for a listen on a long car ride but somewhat disappointing. Really a 3- .
October 30, 2019
I enjoy how Haddam builds up the atmosphere and characters before a murder has happened. Intriguing mystery. Sad to say, the political scene hasn’t changed.
November 18, 2012
Revisiting and catching up with an author I enjoyed many years ago. Recently read one of her newer books, enjoyed it, and wondered why I didn't continue following her books. Guess I got distracted by the many other authors and mysteries out there.
Haddam's books are very thoughtful, very intricate and at times hard to follow. This is a very welcome difference from many cozy mysteries; where you can usually predict what will happen next. I had no clue who the murderer was (though I'm not good at this even in many of the cozies) until near the end.
It was interesting to revisit the political climate of the time (1990s) that this book was set. She does not set a pretty picture for politicians, but hey, frankly, I don't have much respect for them either. I'm not surprised by her characterizations but it is a bit depressing to realize nothing much has changed.
The lead character, Gregor Demarkian is very interesting as well. He's a bit of a pill at times, but I'm so intrigued by his thought process and his foibles make for a very complex character. Though he is interesting, his complexity may be why I drifted away for awhile - I really got caught up in only reading mysteries with women as the lead for many years. It nice to catch up with an old favorite, again.
Haddam's books are very thoughtful, very intricate and at times hard to follow. This is a very welcome difference from many cozy mysteries; where you can usually predict what will happen next. I had no clue who the murderer was (though I'm not good at this even in many of the cozies) until near the end.
It was interesting to revisit the political climate of the time (1990s) that this book was set. She does not set a pretty picture for politicians, but hey, frankly, I don't have much respect for them either. I'm not surprised by her characterizations but it is a bit depressing to realize nothing much has changed.
The lead character, Gregor Demarkian is very interesting as well. He's a bit of a pill at times, but I'm so intrigued by his thought process and his foibles make for a very complex character. Though he is interesting, his complexity may be why I drifted away for awhile - I really got caught up in only reading mysteries with women as the lead for many years. It nice to catch up with an old favorite, again.
October 9, 2018
Not my favorite Demarkian tale. I just didn't care who murdered who or why. I didn't feel like I had any insights into Gregor or Bennis, either. Since it takes place away from Cavanugh Street, there's little of that quirkiness either.
10/9/18 - Reread, and enjoyed it more because I was reading it like a mystery, and not trying to focus on Gregor or Bennis. It's been long enough since I first read it, I'd forgotten who was the murderer.
It was sad to realize how little DC has changed in the years that have passed.
10/9/18 - Reread, and enjoyed it more because I was reading it like a mystery, and not trying to focus on Gregor or Bennis. It's been long enough since I first read it, I'd forgotten who was the murderer.
It was sad to realize how little DC has changed in the years that have passed.
December 25, 2020
Gregor Demarkian is called to a holiday weekend at a famous older movie star's house where her son-in-law, Stephen Whistler Fox, who is a Senator, is having some problems. He has hopes of running for president but keeps collapsing at events and the doctors don't know why. He has a long suffering wife, a mistress (Patchen Rawls) who is a spacey actress, two old friends, 1 a doctor and the other a manipulator (Dan Chester), who are all in attendance. There are also a few others there including a lobbyist and they are supposed to be announcing a new bill that will help children with special needs. Lots of interaction happens between the characters before the first person is found dead, the doctor, and Gregor is not really interested in looking for the killer and would prefer to leave it to the local police. His assistant, Bennis, has previously had an affair with the Senator and is a bit nervous about being present.
The usual gang from Gregor's home area of Cavanugh Street plays a very minor role in this story. Everyone seems to have motives for doing harm to various people. Dan Chestor has manipulated his pals since they were young and wants Senator Fox to be president as this would give him lots of power. Fox is a wish washy man who cheats on his wife constantly and has little substance. His wife is not that interested in him especially since the death of their daughter who had Down's syndrome. Her mother is a pushy, controlling woman.
Gregor goes about things in his own special way, checking out all the people, reasons for why certain things happen and when. He delves into why an FBI agent is hanging around and how things worked when he was in the FBI.
An ok mystery if a bit boring at times. Some political intrigue with shenanigans involving kickbacks and power grabs.
The usual gang from Gregor's home area of Cavanugh Street plays a very minor role in this story. Everyone seems to have motives for doing harm to various people. Dan Chestor has manipulated his pals since they were young and wants Senator Fox to be president as this would give him lots of power. Fox is a wish washy man who cheats on his wife constantly and has little substance. His wife is not that interested in him especially since the death of their daughter who had Down's syndrome. Her mother is a pushy, controlling woman.
Gregor goes about things in his own special way, checking out all the people, reasons for why certain things happen and when. He delves into why an FBI agent is hanging around and how things worked when he was in the FBI.
An ok mystery if a bit boring at times. Some political intrigue with shenanigans involving kickbacks and power grabs.
December 24, 2021
This was the third book in the Gregor Demarkian Holiday mystery series that I completed. The books were recommended by Nancy Pearl and Nancy suggested reading them in order. With every book I grow fonder of this series and the recurring characters. The first in the series, Not a Creature Was Stirring could have been an original blueprint for Knives Out—a murder in the home of a rich with a cast that could have been the blueprint for Succession. Another reviewer called Haddam the Agatha Christie set in the 20th century. Okay, you think, this is how this series will go. Rich people die. The next in the series, Precious Blood, takes place at a Catholic church in a small town. Wait, what? It was interesting to see the Church as a character and read it from the standpoint of the publication date in 1991 and what was happening at that time. I enjoyed being pulled back into that era. Now the third book, Act of Darkness, has a political backdrop and brings in issues surrounding abortion. It also uses the “R” word quite a bit which set my 2021 teeth on edge and a healthy reminder of how language can change.
At the center is Gregor Demarkian, a widower and retired FBI agent, whose backstory I hope will be revealed as the books go along. And there is Demarkian’s own community that comes with a good set of recurring characters like Father Tibor the Armenian parish priest, and Bennis Hannaford the rich girl turned fantasy author who was a part of the plot in Not a Creature Was Stirring but is now elevated to Demarkian’s sidekick.
This third book was a bit hard to find. Well, easy to find if you want to pay almost $30 for a paperback. The rest of the series I was able to find easily on ebay as a set. And you can find it in ebook format for a lot less. I will be happily making my way through all 30 books in this series.
At the center is Gregor Demarkian, a widower and retired FBI agent, whose backstory I hope will be revealed as the books go along. And there is Demarkian’s own community that comes with a good set of recurring characters like Father Tibor the Armenian parish priest, and Bennis Hannaford the rich girl turned fantasy author who was a part of the plot in Not a Creature Was Stirring but is now elevated to Demarkian’s sidekick.
This third book was a bit hard to find. Well, easy to find if you want to pay almost $30 for a paperback. The rest of the series I was able to find easily on ebay as a set. And you can find it in ebook format for a lot less. I will be happily making my way through all 30 books in this series.
February 23, 2020
I only gave Jane Haddam's 3rd Gregor Demarkian book 3 stars. Act of Darkness was entertaining, but taking place in the world of politics was a little too much like work to me. I did learn about DC and whether it was built on a swamp from my sis-in-law resident Carrie.
https://www.mosquitosquad.com/greater... if you are interested.
https://www.mosquitosquad.com/greater... if you are interested.
August 3, 2021
This book came out in 1991 and it's interesting to see how attitudes and even the language surrounding Downs Syndrome have changed (thankfully so). The mystery is a good one even though I didn't like the characters with the exception of Demarkian and Bennis. Even when the books in this series have flaws, they are still good enough to keep me reading.
April 22, 2018
Another interesting Gregor Demarkian adventure
A retired FBI agent makes a very clever and successful investigator in Jane Haddam's engaging series about Armenian-American Gregor Demarkian and the fascinating group who live on Cavanaugh Street.
A retired FBI agent makes a very clever and successful investigator in Jane Haddam's engaging series about Armenian-American Gregor Demarkian and the fascinating group who live on Cavanaugh Street.
June 21, 2020
Another enjoyable mystery in the Gregor Demarkian series. It was a little slow in the beginning setting up the characters and plot, but once Insp. Demarkian shows up it picked up speed. This is a good beach read for those that want something a little lighter.
May 31, 2022
I really enjoy the Gregor Demarkian series. The detective is retired from the FBI and having recently lost his wife he is lured into mysteries as his renewed purpose in life. The characters are always well developed and the mysteries are complex. I recommend this series. Kristi & Abby Tabby
July 11, 2017
This was not really my sort of book. much like a Sherlock Holmes type book. Reminded me of the game Clue
June 26, 2018
Stopped reading after about fifty pages. Let's just say: not my style of writing.
January 23, 2020
3.75. Not bad, but has some lags. Would be willing to try another book in the series.
September 1, 2020
Enjoyed listening to this book. I think if I hadn’t known the characters well from previous reading I might have been a bit lost...
March 22, 2023
I can't think of a single mystery where the victim had it coming more. I always forget the sly humor of this series and the strong characterization.
Read
January 31, 2024Audiobook
February 2, 2016
For years, I had a heck of a time finding a copy of this book, and it wasn't until Team Otto released it in ebook form that I was able to get my grubby paws on it and read it. And like the books before it in the series and the ones after it (that I have read so far), this one was solid. A good mystery, some interesting (if not particularly likable) suspects, and, of course, Gregor. And Bennis. As in her other books in the series, Jane does a good job of mixing in some topical/social commentary and doing it in such an unbiased and intellectually honest way that it's usually next to impossible to figure out what her own views are, whereas other writers are far more tiresome in promoting their own social/political agendas. As for the mystery itself, all of the necessary clues are there to allow the reader to figure things out, which is the way mysteries should be written, but often are not. Bottom line: now that I've read this one, I'll fast-forward to where I left off in the series and continue to get caught up on what the gang on Cavanaugh Street has been up to lately!
December 15, 2013
I chose this book to read because I was intrigued by the detective, Gregor Demarkian, being Armenian. Apart from the Armenian names and the sense of a closely connected Armenian community involved only peripherally, he actually reminded me more of Agatha Christie's Poirot and this perhaps spoiled my enjoyment of the story somewhat. I would echo another review of this book here, which comments that it was hard to connect or sympathise with or care about any of the murder victims and suspects as they were generally not very likeable characters, but I would try another in this series to see if this complaint is a one-off. Being a Brit, it is harder to connect with the American setting, too, although this is not a problem I normally have in my reading life, which includes much American fiction and crime fiction at that. It was not a bad book, though, just very Poirotesque.
July 10, 2016
3.5 STARS | The very literate Gregor Demarkian mysteries continue to intrigue me. I love how Haddam introduces her suspects in vignettes at the beginning of each novel so we have a good, if incomplete, picture of them as the action begins. I found this one a little slow on the uptake though with some of the humor missing. Perhaps it was the political topic of which I'm weary, though this was written long before today's political climate. Because of the quality of the writing, these are not novels to race through, but rather to savor.
August 25, 2012
I am just a sucker for these--couldn't put it down.
This time we learn a bit about politics and lobbying. Again, we have the quirky characters, and dwindling list of suspects. What is causing the politician to seize up at functions? Is it a breakdown, or is it drugs? If it is some sort of sabotage, how and why?
Bennis is along on this one, and the Cavanaugh Street residents also get a little bit of play.
This time we learn a bit about politics and lobbying. Again, we have the quirky characters, and dwindling list of suspects. What is causing the politician to seize up at functions? Is it a breakdown, or is it drugs? If it is some sort of sabotage, how and why?
Bennis is along on this one, and the Cavanaugh Street residents also get a little bit of play.
August 4, 2016
Another enjoyable read featuring the former FBI agent, Gregor Demarkian. Bennis Hannaford also appears in this one. The two of them make an interesting team. I like the lead character a lot. I did not guess the ending either. This author writes well and holds my attention. I will read more in this series. All the characters in this Armenian-American community are people you want to know more about.
November 6, 2013
This is one of Jane Haddam's early Demarkian mysteries that I had not read until now. I have never found one I did not like. I will be looking for more I missed.
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