Summer People

I don't read many mysteries these days, although some years back I did enjoy a few of Burke's Dave Robicheaux books and Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder stories; and many years ago I was a fan of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series. But since Summer People is set in Michigan, in the Traverse City area scarcely an hour from my home, I thought I should give it a try. And it's cool! Stander's style is spare and crisp and gives you a good sense of a Michigan summer too, with evocative descriptions of the area and the scenery along the Lake Michigan shoreline. At first I wondered why he didn't give more background information on his protagonist, Ray Elkins, who is a small-town sheriff. (The village itself is never named, but you get a good sense of its approximate whereabouts by the mentions of actual surrounding towns and hamlets.) But that minor worry soon faded, because Stander's method of character development is cumulative. Each chapter reveals a little more about Elkins, who, we learn, attended college and grad school at Michigan and even taught at the university level for a time before chucking all that and moving back to the locale of his childhood summers to take up law enforcement full-time. Similarly, we gradually learn more about his best friend, Marc, recently divorced, who has also come back home to stay. There are murders here, of course. One quirky and particularly sordid one is summarily solved. But the others are not so easy, and Elkins methodically gathers evidence and interviews suspects and even brainstorms with Marc and another childhood friend, as he slowly assembles the scattered pieces of the puzzle, linking the remaining murders together. However, there is no neatly tied and satisfactory ending here. Elkins is, after all, a very cerebral sheriff, who has his own unique sense of what constitutes justice. The conclusion then seems just slightly off-center, although not unsatisfying. It fits with the characters as we have come to know them. If you like a good mystery - one that forces you to think and consider all possibilites - then Summer People is for you. - Tim Bazzett, author of PINHEAD: A LOVE STORY

A nice addition to the cottage bookshelf! If you know the "pinkie" of Michigan's lower peninsula, you'll find this story evoking images that take you back to many of your favorite places. The story rolls right along and is stocked with many and varied characters. The tension is well sustained. A perfect read for a rainy day in front of the fire, although I'll bet more than a few copies have grains of sand worked into their bindings.

Great summer read, especially if you are familiar with the northern Michigan area. Good characters and an ending you don't expect. Enjoy!

A great setting, some suspense and very well-fleshed out characters make for a great summer read. The Sheriff is a very compelling and engaging character, and anyone who's ever spent any time "up north" will enjoy the wonderful descriptions of that area.

Aaron Stander does an admirable job developing a sympathetic protagonist and supportive characters. All the elements for a good murder mystery are present including an appealing story line. For those looking to find a book that reminds them of the relationships within and among the peoples that are vacationers or "townies" of Summer resorts, this book examines the tensions from a unique perspective.