Review: Entertaining and worthwhile
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 19, 2012
This novel follows two detectives as they investigate the untimely murder of Francis Humbleton; a very punctual, almost minimalistic man. By all accounts, Francis is "mediocre," as the book puts it, and with no family, the detectives have to pay visits to everyone he was known to associate with, including his coworker, drinking partner, and an elderly woman from his church to find out who could have possibly done it. They come to find that although Francis seemed normal, he was praised as extraordinary by most of the people that knew him, which gives the detectives a hard time finding the motive for his death. During their investigation, the police are tailed by media reporters who pay visits to the people they've spoken to and deliver the worst possible allegations about Francis to the public, which puts increasing pressure on the two detectives from the people, press, and their superiors. There's not really a 'climax'  or building suspense to the story. After a while, the mystery just gets solved, but I didn't find that disappointing. The ending did fit well with the rest of the book.So you have the plot, it's an easy read, not too cryptic and not too predictable a mystery. The characters in the book all have interesting backgrounds involving their ties to Francis which helps add to the interest level of the story. As each story is told to the detectives, you learn not necessarily 'more' about Francis' nature, but your assumptions about him generally get reaffirmed with each addition. The book is well written too. The author's prose is not at all overdone and reads pretty easily.So all-in-all, I believe this is a good book. If you're looking for a fast and entertaining read that's not too involved or overwritten, this is the book for you.