Book Review: Cape Perdido

Reviewed By: Catherine Thompson - RAM

[4.5 stars]

Cape Perdido Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Marcia Muller
Class/Genre: Mystery
Mysterious Press; $33.95 hardcover; 305 pages

At the northernmost point of Soledad County lies the former lumber town of Cape Perdido. Now its mill is silent, and its revenue comes from the tourists who flock to the beaches nearby in summer. But when Aqueduct International brokers a deal with the old mill’s owner Timothy McNear to harvest water from the Perdido River, the residents protest. Not least among the protesters is Joseph Openshaw, a Native American environmentalist who grew up in Cape Perdido. Along with him are Jessie Domingo, a community specialist from New York, and Stephanie Pace, restaurateur and one-time love of Joseph’s. The arrival of the “waterbaggers” will stir the residents of this sleepy California town to desperate acts and set in motion a deadly chain of events, culminating in abduction and murder.

I’ve long been an admirer of Muller’s Sharon McCone mysteries, but with these Soledad County mysteries, she proves she can stretch beyond the boundaries of a regular series. I hesitate to call Cape Perdido a “stand-alone,” because like Point Deception and Cyanide Wells, there is a recurring cast of characters: Rhoda Swift, for example, who was a central character in Point Deception, makes an appearance as an investigator in Cape Perdido, although the main characters here didn’t appear in the earlier book.

Muller sets a cracking pace, yet her characters are never less than human. Jessie Domingo, a bright young woman, for example, is trying to move out of the shadow of her “perfect” older sister Casey. The plot unfolds in increments, revealing that the events of the present have roots 20 years in the past. The clues she lays down are subtle but clear to the astute reader.

Catherine Thompson - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Catherine Thompson - RAM

Please Note: Books reviewed are usually provided by the publisher, author, or an agent. Reviewers usually get to keep the book.