Sunday, August 24, 2008

Leon, Donna (Suffer the Little Children)

While this book isn't as stunning as her previous one (Through a Glass, Darkly), it is still about a zillion times better than most mystery series, at least most contemporary ones.

Why is it that most mystery authors begin to decline by about their 3rd or 4th book and it becomes unbearable to read anything by them ever again? Not so at all with Leon. It's as if her thoughtful police commissioner, not always the sharpest tack, becomes more interesting from novel to novel. Leon's not aging him or any of the other characters (which is somewhat irritating because I'm getting antsy that Vianello hasn't been promoted past Inspector yet), but she never runs out of schemes to write about. And lately, they lean not towards murders but towards white-collar crime, infinitely more variable, calculating and byzantine in terms of plot devices.

And maybe that shows my age, that I enjoy these more, but it must also be showing hers. I hope she doesn't get tired of writing any time soon.

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