South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Grieving moms turn violent; Death inspector faces ‘gangs in classier clothes’
Grief and revenge feed off each other in a never-ending circle in Alison Gaylin’s provocative, fascinating “The Collective.”
Edgar winner Gaylin’s
10th novel puts the tragedy of losing a loved one at its center, but “The Collective” also persuasively taps into frustration with the legal system, disgust at entitlement and how people shrug personal responsibility.
Camille Gardener lives in a fugue state of grief since her only child, Emily, was murdered five years ago, after the 15-year-old attended a fraternity party at an upstate New York college. Adding to her sorrow, the handsome, wealthy Harris Blanchard was acquitted of Emily’s murder.
Harris continues to live the good life, never suffering any consequences, excelling at college, about to start a lucrative career, lauded for his humanitarian works, while Camille remains in anguish.
Her feeble attempts to publicly embarrass Harris has gotten her arrested, thrown out of events and slapped with a restraining order. Grief has physically changed the once-glamorous Camille, who used to take pride in her looks. She’s a drab, shell of herself. Emily shadows her mind in “a ragged bundle of memories, cocooned in a constant, gnawing pain.”
Then Camille receives a card with one word — Niobe — that leads her to The Collective, a group of
132 mothers (“never any
men”) whose children were murdered. These rage-filled women are determined to punish those killers, taking over where the legal system failed. Justice isn’t on their minds — revenge is. The merciless members feed on their hate, giving them power that has been lacking.
At first, Camille is eager to avenge her daughter, doing little tasks meant to shield the women’s identities but will result in violence. But The Collective comes with rules, the first of which is don’t talk about The Collective.
Gaylin imbues “The Collective” with solid suspense that grows from myriad twists, each of which is a surprise. Gaylin explores Camille’s emotional state with finesse, never making her a caricature but a believable person. Her friendship with the man who received Emily’s heart has become her sole lifeline with humanity. No matter what Camille does, Gaylin keeps the reader firmly on
her side.
“The Collective” careens to a perfectly noir — and totally believable — finale, showcasing Gaylin’s storytelling skills.
Listen to the author
Alison Gaylin discusses “The Collective,” Rachel Howzell Hall discusses her novel “These Toxic Things” and Jeffery Deaver discusses his thriller “The Midnight Lock” as part of the South Florida Sun Sentinel PRIME Expo, a free virtual event geared for adults ages 55 and over Nov. 5 through Nov. 20. To register or for more information, Visit SunSentinel.com/ Prime for free registration or more information.
Suburban deaths pile up
As a death investigator for Chouteau County, about 30 miles west of St. Louis, Angela Richman has been on the scene when a variety of people have died from myriad causes. But too often these deaths involve or have been caused by the wealthy residents of this “pocket of white privilege,” as Elaine Viets shows in her sixth well-plotted outing with Angela.
Viets delivers an entertaining story that delves into the culture of the elite, small-town politics and entitlement while showing an understanding of what motivates people in “Life Without Parole.”
Angela’s latest case involves Chouteau Forest businessman Tom Lockridge, who was shot in his bedroom while asleep. The blame quickly falls on the Ghost Burglars, who’ve been stealing valuables from the rich. But there’s also Lockridge’s widow, Cynthia, who’s 27 years younger than her 61-yearold husband and whose spending habits are astronomical.
Assisting Det. Jace Budewitz with the Lockridge murder, Angela also is called to the scene of two more murders in the neighborhood, at least one of which may be linked to the Ghost Burglars. But cracking this insular community is difficult. “The rich,” muses Angela, “were gangs in classier clothes.”
“Life Without Parole” adds a subplot about how stroke patients recover. Angela, who suffered a stroke a couple years earlier, has found comfort and healing through work. Her mind is sharper than ever and she finally may be ready to open her heart to a cop.
Viets also includes an amusing glossary of how Missourians pronounce a few words. As a native Missourian, I can attest this
is accurate.
The tight plot moves at a brisk pace, despite one predictable death.
Still, Angela is always good company as “Life Without Parole” proves.
Meet the author
Elaine Viets discusses “Life Without Parole” during an in-person event at 7 p.m. Nov. 12, at Murder on the Beach Mystery
Bookstore, 104 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. The event also will on Zoom. The event is free with masks and social distancing. For more information, call 561-279-7790 or murdermb@gate.net; a Zoom link will be sent to those who register.