Fisherman's Bend

Her first novel is as good as her fishing chronicles. She's a wonderful writer. She's one of the few good things to come out of the perfect storm.

Jane Bunker's second outing outside of Miami - we are still left somewhat wondering as to why Jane has returned to her home state of Maine from Florida, where her mother had retrreated with her as a child to live. Luckily she is able to remain in her comfort zone on the water - the Atlantic Ocean - and around boats - even if she has left the police force. But you may be able to take the cop out of the force, but not the force out of the cop. Jane and her friend Cal, an old local salt, happen upon an abondoned lobster boat running in circles in the middle of a run. They'd just investigated a vandalism claim on a boat for an insurance company in Jane's new position as a marine consultant. Jane's old instincts can't help but kick in and she finds the disappearance suspicious and the reactions of the family unusual. Cal, typical of the locals, dismisses what isn't his business and moves on. When Jane is called in by both of her bosses - she's also a deputy for the local sheriff's department - she's more than happy to comply if only to satisfy her curiosity. Little does she know how deeply the feelings run in the small lobster community - even when she discovers that it may have nothing to do with the bottom feeders she already knows about...Fisherman's Bend (Jane Bunker)

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is unlike many of the mysteries I have read because of the manner in which the author constructs the story. There are no "red herring" false leads; the story proceeds directly to it's conclusion. Ms. Greenlaw has a writing style that is very, very smooth. There is a lot of nice imagery in the book, and it is evident that she knows her way around small boats. I found her writing to be a refreshing change from the hard-hitting style of many mysteries - they often attempt to lead the reader into false paths, switching the main suspect, often several times. This story is probably more like an actual detective would work, following various leads to their conclusion, but not assuming guilt or causing the reader to move the focus to different characters. In hindsight, the bad guy was obvious, but only in hindsight. There was only one big plot twist, and even that seemed to flow into the story, rather than being startling. I was getting towards the end of the book and began to wonder how Ms. Greenlaw was going to wrap everything up in a very few pages. In fact, the conclusion came together in only a couple of pages - and then the story was over. It seemed a bit sudden, but it works OK. The story has a lot of descriptions; here is a sample (my own words, not a quote from the book): The story unfolds quietly, like the waves of the sea gently moving in and out in the sunlight. Since the book is set in Maine, in the fall, there are plenty of great images to be described. But if this sort of writing is not your thing you might find it problematic. I enjoyed it.

"Fisherman's Bend" is not only the title of this novel, but a very philosopically and thematically correct title. Linda Greenlaw has constructed an interlinked set of anomolous occurrances that add up to the best of what we read mysteries for. This novel really delivers on the promise. But it also delivers what general readers and readers of various genres like Romance and Fantasy look for in a great novel -- character, relationship and commentary on life -- the promise of a new beginning. Told in the first person, the novel lets us ride inside the head of Jane Bunker as she unties the knot of her life. The convolutions of the mysteries set before her stir up then reawaken her thirst and zest for life, the life she abandoned in Miami, but with a twist. At the same time, those convolutions parallel her psychological convolutions that have her emotions tied in a knot in an attempt to anchor herself to life. Holding down two jobs, living on a shoestring, aching with a loneliness she can't admit, Jane Bunker finds herself dangling over the precipice of her life -- metaphorically and literally. Linda Greenlaw executes all this brilliantly -- never slowing the narrative to articulate abstractions. You may notice none of the philosophy that so thrills me, but you'll learn to tie a Fisherman's Bend. Then you'll be hooked on knots.

It seems that Linda Greenlaw has found her niche in the mystery genre. FISHERMAN'S BEND, a follow-up to SLIPKNOT, continues the adventures of Jane Bunker, Green Haven's new Deputy Sheriff and part-time insurance investigator for Eastern Marine Safety Consultants. The former Miami homicide detective had more than her share of murder and mayhem, so she left the frenzied life in Florida for the remote shores of Maine where she hoped to use her skills in a less stressful setting. But, if that were the case, where would the stories be? Once again, what should be a routine investigation of a vandalized survey vessel sets the stage for a series of events that leave one man dead, a prominent fisherman missing and the whole town wondering what kind of foul play is going on. As she works to unravel the clues, Jane's own life is threatened by those who fear she is getting too close to the truth. It seems that her investigation of the vandalism uncovers many conflicts that have begun emerging since the death of Jason Alley from an overdose of heroin. Did his death have anything to do with the "lobster wars" that prompt fierce competition among fishermen? Why was George Paul, spokesman for the Passamaquoddy tribe, so interested in the survey vessel? And was Dane Stevens, handsome captain of the vessel, being honest about his mission? Although Jane is not getting paid anything close to her homicide detective wages, she works just as hard to find answers to these questions and to help the Alley family get closure. While Greenlaw does not rely on heart-pounding suspense to hook her audience, the varied storylines and interesting themes keep readers closely engaged. In addition to a compelling story, her style places you smack in the middle of Green Haven, Maine, so you can taste the salt air and feel the mist rising from the sea as you stroll with Jane down to the Harbor Café. There you can expect to be assaulted by Audrey, a punk rocker who waits on tables and runs a tight ship. "Though only nineteen, Audrey is precociously self-assured and comfortable in her own tattooed and pierced skin." She reminds me of the Soup Nazi from "Seinfeld." Other fictional characters in FISHERMAN'S BEND assure you that Greenlaw based them on real folks she knows very well. Cal Dunham captains the Sea Pigeon and ferries Jane between the islands so she can save time and wear and tear on her ancient Duster. Cal doesn't say much, but he has mastered the art of listening and is very helpful as Jane tries to sort out her clues. The Vickersons are Jane's elderly landlords, and they feed her mussels for dinner in a different recipe every evening after enjoying their extended cocktail hour. How charming and endearing they are! And, of course, there is Jane herself, who I suspect may have a bit of Linda Greenlaw in her, the quintessence of female ingenuity while being humble, caring and humorous. She tries to make the best of every situation and hopes that her run of bad luck with men