Book Review: Save the Last Dance for Me

Reviewed By: Woodstock - RAM

Save the Last Dance for Me     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Ed Gorman
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Series: Sam McCain # 4

The scene is small town Iowa in the fall of 1960. Vice President Richard Nixon is running for president, and has scheduled a campaign stop in Black River Falls - the political arena managed by county judge Esme Whitney. A few brief days before Nixon's arrival - a local charismatic preacher who uses live rattle snakes in his services is poisoned by a spiked Pepsi Cola placed on the platform where he is leading a service. A day or two later, another more moderate clergyman is dead - this time by gunfire.

Horrified by the violent image soon to be paraded before a host of Republican bigwigs, Judge Whitney instructs her investigator Sam McCain to uncover the murderer. McCain investigates as ordered and finds himself following a trail of prejudice, betrayal, adultery, and abuse.

Gorman has a nice, easy style using a semi-humorous but insightful method of relating the story. I enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to readers who enjoy their books "medium boiled."

I was a resident of the area Gorman describes, in the fall of 1960 as a matter of fact. I noticed more than a few errors in local place names and other identifying features. As one example - in the fall of 1960, the school in Iowa City was officially the "State University of Iowa." Dropping the word "state" and dubbing it the "University of Iowa" (as referred to by Gorman) came several years later.

Woodstock - RAM

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