Book Review: Lead, So I Can Follow

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Lead, So I Can Follow     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Harold Adams
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Historical
Series: Carl Wilcox # 16
Walker, Dec 1999, $22.95, 240 pp.

Prohibition has been repealed and the Great Depression seems nearly over. Everything looks great to Carl Wilcox, a sign painter, who serves as a part-time police officer and sleuth. Perhaps things look superb because he is about to embark on his honeymoon with his beloved Hazel. The newlyweds travel to the St. Croix River, the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. They camp out on a small island, but their first blissful night turns ugly when they hear a scream followed by a gunshot.

The duo investigates by canoeing to the mainland. Carl rescues a dead body from an oncoming train. They head to the nearby town of Indeville, Wisconsin, but soon become embroiled in two homicides that appear to be linked to the first victim. The focus of their inquiries is Kat Bacon and her musical group, the Kat Clan. Neither Carl nor Hazel planned on being distracted by a murder case, but both deeply plunge into learning the truth.

Shamus Award winner Harold Adams scores big time with his newest Carl Wilcox mystery, LEAD, SO I CAN FOLLOW. Readers who follow the series know that the addition of Hazel changes the perspective while freshening up the series. The interplay between Carl and Hazel is entertaining and shows a different side to the sleuth. Not an action-packed novel, this is a terrific story that centers on the newlyweds and their role in a likable mystery.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner