Pink Carnationa

by Casey Dorman

1959, Orange County, California—a young socialite and her companion are brutally murdered. 2003—the murder is reenacted in The Pink Carnation Murders, a film about the still-unsolved killings, but this time the two young actors playing the parts of the dead teenagers are themselves killed. A bizarre accident or murder? Thatâ€s the question independently wealthy Professor Phineas Routledge, III must answer when his student, the sister of one of the actors, asks him to help her discover the cause of her brotherâ€s death. One death leads to another as Phineas and his beautiful Vietnamese wife, Kim, unearth a conspiracy that has lasted for nearly forty-five years. It is a conspiracy that has concealed a powerful crime figure operating just below the surface in the land of sunshine and affluence, and the lives of Phineas and Kim are in danger from the moment they discover it.

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 17, 2004

About the author

Casey Dorman is a former university professor and dean, a psychologist, a literary review editor, an essayist, and the author of fourteen novels, a collection of short stories and poems, and three non-fiction books, including a volume in the Johns Hopkins Series on Neuroscience and Psychiatry. He is the former editor and publisher of the literary magazine, "Lost Coast Review." His fiction, essays, and poems have appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines. He has published academic and research articles in psychology, medical, public health and philosophy journals. He is a member of the Society of Philosophers in America. His most recent novel is the sci-fi thriller, “Ezekiel’s Brain,” published by NewLink Publishing in 2021. He is working on the sequel. He and his wife, Lai, live in Southern California and enjoy traveling, wine-tasting, gardening, and visiting with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchild as well as their nieces and nephews.

Reviews

[Michael Hartnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Legacies Revealed in an Exciting Mystery
About three quarters through Casey Dorman’s thrilling, smart novel Pink Carnation, our narrator Professor Phineas Routledge tells the reader, “I sat back down and reflected on how cold-blooded killers often lacked a sense of humor.” They do indeed. Thankfully, Routledge more makes up for this deficiency with much wit and many arch asides. Indeed, he is a lively companion, prone to snappy retorts and evocative decriptions, particularly of varied Southern California topography.
The plot, which builds from two present-day murders on a film set echoing ones from killings 44 years earlier, features its fair share of dead bodies and wonderful intrigues. A duo of strong female characters – Routledge’s Vietnamese wife Kim and Lucia, a sister of the victim – gives the story an added layer, serving as counterpoints for the more ambiguously motivated men of the story, from the director Thornberg to the writer Elmore to the college trustee Umstead to the wealthy entrepreneur Wolf to the retired detective Fontana.
Dorman deftly unfolds a plot that moves in and out of the past, capturing a legacy of corruption that haunts Southern California to this day. One of the many pleasures of Pink Carnation is how effortlessly Dorman juxtaposes Orange County toniness with Santa Ana gangland grit. The last quarter of the novel really ratchets up the tension and suspense, featuring a dramatic boardroom scene and an exciting climax that includes a few surprises.
Simply put, Pink Carnation manages to be a tremendously fun read, even as it speaks to some of the darker legacies of South California history.