Book Review: The Wooden Leg of Inspector Anders

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Wooden Leg of Inspector Anders     Amazon US TPB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada TPB Amazon Canada HC
Marshall Browne
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Police Procedural
Series: Inspector Anders # 1
St. Martin's, May 2001, $23.95, 256 pp.

Though a decade has passed since Inspector Anders performed his heroic investigation that shut down the New Dawn anarchist group, the media still considers him a hero. Perhaps it is the leg that he lost during the confrontation that makes him a model of a brave smart police officer. Anders feels otherwise. He went out on disability only to return in 1989 mostly doing desk work. Now three years later, he has one month left before he retires to his full pension.

Still, the brass sends Anders to Southern Italy to investigate the murders of Judge De Angelis and subsequently Magistrate Fabri. His superiors expect Anders to go through the motions and no more with their goal begin to shut up the judge's volatile widow. Anders understands that, but between "working" with local Detective Matucci and interviewing the widow he cannot help but return to the hero of '82 fully investigating what really happened to the Judge and the Magistrate.

THE WOODEN LEG OF INSPECTOR ANDERS is an insightful entertaining look at Italy through a police investigation. The story line succeeds because the audience actually observes a character study as the reader gets inside the head of Anders. Matucci and the widow are complex players who bring the best out of the weary Anders. Though a strong police procedural, Marshall Browne has provided much more with this in depth look at a near retirement, somewhat disabled, law enforcement official.

Harriet Klausner

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