Page One: Hit and Run: A Robin Hamilton Mystery

In the interest of full disclosure, I confess that I was predisposed to love this book as it is set in Escanaba, the small Upper Michigan town I grew up in. I'm happy to report that the settings are accurate; reading this was like making a quick trip home. Nostalgia aside, I found it to be an engaging story filled with well-drawn characters. Protagonist Robin Hamilton is smart, tenacious, wounded and instantly likable. The mystery is interesting and intelligent. The book is a bit on the short side, but it is well-paced and satisfying--a perfect choice for an afternoon's escapist reading. 4.5 stars.

Michigan's Upper Peninsula is an unusual setting for a mystery novel, yet that is the least reason Nancy Barr's first book is unusual. Mystery novels rise and fall on two things: believable characters who act like real people, and details that bring the story to life. Page One: Hit and Run introduces new characters in the early chapters, but hits its stride quickly, partially because of the author's crisp and direct style, and partially because Robin Hamilton swiftly comes to life on the pages. Ms. Barr presents enough detail about the Escanaba area to bring it to life for those not yet lucky enough to have visited there, and to ring true with those who have. She adds character details almost surreptitiously, with a fine sense of what the reader needs to know at the moment. I genuinely liked the book and read most of it in a single sitting. I recommend Page One: Hit and Run as an exciting and readable entry novel for those new to the mystery genre and as refreshing fare for those tired of plowing through ponderous page turners.