Book Review: Things in Ditches

Reviewed By: Woodstock - RAM

Things in Ditches     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Jimmy Olsen
Class/Genre:   Mystery

A "Fargo" for fans of suspence fiction. That's my first thought in trying to summarize my reaction to this impressive debut novel.

In the small town of Willow River, Minnesota, the nude corpse of a beautiful woman has been found in a ditch. Near her are a set of car keys. But no clothes, no vehicle which might have belonged to her, no identifying documents.

In the early morning hours, Dutch Cleland, the former lover of the murder victim resolves to take his own life in remorse for his murderous acts of the night before. At this point, he alone knows her identity. But his determination to die begins to fade as he considers the mess he will leave behind, and he prepares to flee to the northernmost reach of the state.

A small town cop who has no higher ambitions, a local attorney, the supportive wife of the fugitive, two former husbands of the victim, a local retarded man, two throwbacks to the counterculture days of the sixties, a paralyzing blizzard, a sheriff who likes nothing better than to see his name in the headlines, a patient all forgiving dog, and other assorted North country eccentrics inhabit the action, and delight the reader as events unfold.

The action moves from the Twin Cities, to the small town of Willow River, and north to the woods near the Canadian border. We go back and forth in time as we gain understanding of exactly what is going on here, with a wonderful concluding "gotcha!" Two of them, in fact!

Olsen is an author worth watching. I wonder if the guys at Uglytown have read this book?

Woodstock - RAM

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