Review: In the Bleak Midwinter

This gripping novel grabs the reader's attention with the very first sentence 'It was one hell of a night to throw away a baby.' This particular baby is fortunate in that he is not tossed in the garbage, to be found, if at all, by chance. He is left in the traditional spot for unwanted babies whose parents want them to be found - at the church door. This is no longer a normal or legal way to deal with an unwanted infant; nowadays, such infants should be left with a proper caregiver, and the parents must carry out the appropriate legal procedures to terminate their parental rights. Little Cody's parents must be found to answer for abandoning Cody in such a way, and to sign the appropriate forms to free him for adoption. What starts out as a simple investigation into the baby's origin is complicated at first by the desperation of a prominent local couple to adopt the child, supported by the note found with him, and the desire of the local child welfare officials to apply the rules for fostering and adoption fairly. But almost immediately, the discovery of a murder adds a new level of complexity to the situation.

The new Episcopal priest, Clare Fergusson, and the chief of police, Russ Van Alstyne, first meet because of the abandoned infant. Their developing relationship plays out against the backdrop of the investigations into his origin and the subsequent murders.

The novel is set in a small New York town suffering from the economic and social changes that afflict so many such places. The author clearly knows such towns, and is not blinded by any illusions of idyllic small town life. As one of Spencer-Fleming's characters says "Small towns have the same evils that big cities do, just in smaller numbers. And instead of some anonymous stranger, the evil is always someone's neighbour or husband or friend. That's the hard part, that you can't blame some 'other' when awful things happen. The 'other' is one of us." (p. 127)

Although I liked the character development, plot and the setting, I do have some minor quibbles with the book. Both Clare and Russ are very well portrayed, and the author makes effective use of their getting- acquainted dialogue to develop their characters and history for the reader. In contrast, some of the secondary characters, particularly Darrell McWhorter, are rather two-dimensional. Additionally, Clare shows alarming signs of developing into one of those characters who impulsively takes wild, implausible risks. I have not yet read the next book, so I do not know if she manages to rein in this tendency over time. Also, although her devotion to her impractical car, and lack of funds to replace it are well-developed, it seems unlikely that someone with military training in survival skills would be quite so cavalier about getting and using appropriate clothing and equipment for the climate.

But these are minor details. I enjoyed this book enormously, and am looking forward to finding and reading other books by the same author.

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

Book Review: In the Bleak Midwinter