Book Review: Dangerous Undertaking

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Dangerous Undertaking     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Mark de Castrique
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Poisoned Pen Press, May 2003, $24.95, 232 pp.

Gainesboro, North Carolina is a small Appalachian Mountain town and home to Barry Clayton for much of his life. He escaped briefly to become a police officer in Charlotte while taking college courses in criminal justice so he could get a job in the FBI. Unfortunately, Barry couldn’t see his dreams come to fruition because he returned home to take over the family funeral home. His father couldn’t run it anymore because the Alzheimer’s had progressed too far.

At the Martha Willard funeral only two grandchildren Norma Jean and Lee attend the church service. Her other grandchild Dallas fails to arrive. At the graveside, Dallas kills Lee and Norma Jean and wounds Barry before he disappears. The sheriff figures that Dallas killed his siblings because they were going to sell the land that was promised to him. When another person, who wanted to talk to Barry, is murdered using Dallas’s gun, the funeral director joins forces with the sheriff to find what is going on in the once quiet town.

Mark de Castrique’s debut novel is an excellent regional mystery. The tale is filled with local color, numerous villains with different agendas and a hero that is a genuinely sharp person who plays an integral role in solving the murders and other assorted crimes. The protagonist also comes to understand as "Buryin Barry" he plays a vital role in the small rural mountain town and makes peace with his lost dreams. DANGEROUS UNDERTAKING is a must read for those fans who want to learn about a mountain culture inside a strong mystery.

Harriet Klausner

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