JUST POLITICS

An Alaska sleuth must solve a murder case with frustratingly few leads in a mystery series opener from Nancy Buell with Bill Buell.

Special Investigator Annie Brewster’s newest case is a body dump at the Juneau (garbage) Dump. The Alaska Investigation Bureau has sent Annie to assist local cops with their inquiry into Commissioner Richard Grossman’s death. How he died isn’t entirely certain; there’s a gunshot to the neck and a knife wound in the back. But Annie and the Juneau Police Department surmise the murder happened elsewhere despite incessant rain that’s washed away possible clues. No shortage of people might have welcomed the death of Grossman, especially his employees, who saw him as a bully and worse. While the savvy inspector has theories about how the killer took out Grossman without any witnesses, no evidence points Annie to a solid suspect. This tough case begins in the late ’90s and gradually turns cold as the world heads into the new millennium. Annie, however, may get the break she needs when she teams up with both an FBI profiler and an experienced detective who has an affinity for cold cases. A former resident of Barrow, Alaska, Nancy Buell (Time Share Addendum, 2021, etc.) delivers a well-written story and realistically portrays a murder investigation. The novel often comes across as a procedural; Annie repeatedly scrutinizes case details even when she has nothing new. While this showcases her tenacity, it also makes for a leisurely paced, somewhat prolonged narrative given that readers learn early on how the murder transpired (with an inkling as to the culprit’s identity) and must wait for Annie to slowly catch up. Still, Annie is immensely likable; this investigation begets a separate assault case that she wraps up with proficiency. Moreover, her devoted lover, Fred, and their springer spaniel, Bones, help alleviate the gloomy murder plot. Notwithstanding the possibility of a welcome Annie-centric series, this book ends on a relatively disappointing note.

A sublime female gumshoe elevates this sober, measured whodunit.