An Old Chaos

The protagonists of Sheila Simonson's Latouche County series, following the excellent "Buffalo Bill's Defunct," taking place about three months after the conclusion of that book: the county's chief investigator, Rob Neill, and his girlfriend, head librarian Meg McLean. As the book opens, Rob's mentor, Sheriff Mack McCormick is contemplating retirement. He and his wife, Beth, have moved out of their long-time home in Klalo, in western Washington State, and into a new McMansion several miles out of town, in Prune Hill, a gorgeous development of six new homes, only partially inhabited as yet, within sight of Mount St. Helens. When Rob's cousin, Charlie, a geologist, turns up in town, two things happen in quick succession: Rob finds out that the Prune Hill development is on a site Charlie had classified as Class II, meaning a Landslide Hazard Area, and apparently reclassified as a Class III, meaning approved for residential development, but before Rob can act on the information and investigate further, there is a major landslide, and that entire portion of the mountain falls, destroying anything and anyone in its path. There are intimations of graft, corruption, and bribery, and there's no telling where the investigation may lead. The county commissioners, the developer and his investors, and even the county clerk may have been involved; there is even the possibility that Mack himself, a father figure to Rob, may have had something to do with it; how else to explain the fantastic deal he got from the developer on the purchase price of the house? Although there are a few deaths [whether or not they are murders must be determined], this is primarily a character-driven book. From Rob and Meg, Beth and Mack, Maddie Thomas, principal chief of the Klalos, and her husband, Jack, to the various other inhabitants of the small town, civilian and politicos alike, they are deftly brought to life by Ms. Simonson, who lives in Vancouver, WA. Her love for and appreciation of the beauty of the Pacific NW is made clear to the reader, and some arguments for and against its development are cogently set forth. The book was a fast and a good read.

Latouche County Sheriff Mack McCormick and his wife Beth moved into a McMansion on Prune Hill. They got a fabulous deal from developer Fred Drinkwater who made a substantial donation for Mack's fifth term as sheriff. After dinner, Beth notices a crack on a wall going from top to bottom; she fixes it and does not give it another thought. Police Officer Robert Neill's cousin surveyed the site where the homes in Prune Hill are; his mentor classifies them as a Class II Landslide hazard Area. Drinkwater hires his own geologist to get the State to declare the location as Class III; the Board of Commissions approve. Rob warns the sheriff who ignores him. A couple of weeks later, the hill collapses, destroying the homes, killing the sheriff and others, and severely injuring many surviving residents. Drinkwater is found dead with the autopsy report ruling murder. The prevailing theory is that Drinkwater bribed someone to suppress the first assessment, but the most likely person to have done that is dead too. Rob struggles with investigating the tragedy that could have been prevented if avarice had not prevailed. This terrific police procedural will resonate with readers as greed unchecked can go amuck. The culture of this small western Washington State county is a critical part of the tale as the tragedy impacts everyone including those living on the Klalos Reservation. The viewpoints change adding to the sadness as the characters before, during, and after the collapse make for a stirring intelligent story line. Harriet Klausner