To Darkness and to Death

I only recently became acquainted with this author and absolutely love her books. I have read all that are available in paperback and will continue to look forward to reading future books. I got hooked on mysteries by reading Agatha Christie when I was young and this author's characters and plots remind me of Agatha. Great reading.

Julia Spencer-Fleming treads a fine line between professional respect and deep passion in her wonderful series featuring Russ Van Alstyne and Clare Fergusson. Like all really accompished series writers, she keeps her readers initimately involved in the struggles of her characters while continuing to create plausible circumstances for an Episcopal priest and small town police chief to be working to solve crimes together. This series has a brilliant take on sense of place, almost as if it were a third character. Well worth recommending.

At least one other reviewer said this was the best yet in the Clare/Russ series. How very true! Upon finishing "To Darkness and to Death" I was filled with all kinds of emotions. I don't want to give away any specific spoilers, but I do want to mention a few riveting moments in the book: The last scene between Clare and Russ is so poignant, and yet I'm also still reverberating from the confrontation between two other characters. The revelations concerning the history of one of the major criminals in the story was perhaps a tad caricatured for my taste, but it certaintly provided for a cataclysmic denoument. Interestingly, after such a number of characters in this book found their circumstances to be means for committing some very dark acts, the simple, sacrificial heroism of one person touched me very deeply; said character really possessed immense human strength and compassion, not to mention bravery. Even now, I hope that he did not suffer (by then I was reading so fast, that if an exact fate was detailed, I missed it). I'm filled with admiration for Spencer-Fleming's plotting abilities. What an intricate clockwork she created. It really is a brilliant book from that perspective alone. But one of the best things about this book is how far forward the Clare/Russ relationship moves. With deft skill the author gives us several beautiful scenes. I love the "British comedy" scene. Just perfect. And Clare and Russ' private conversations are such gems. Most of all, I love how jealously the author preserves their integrity in the face of temptations. A lesser writer might succumb to thinking that shock value would propel story. But Spencer-Fleming is wiser, and I love how she develops the Clare/Russ relationship in accordance with their honorable personalities. I'm also glad that Clare accepted Aberforth's invitation to tell him about her feelings for Russ. Part of me wishes we'd been privy to that conversation, but the other part thinks the author was right to stop where she did. The early private scene between Russ and Linda was also a treat. It is good to see her as more of a real person rather than just someone who is mentioned by others. Oh, and I loved how Spencer-Fleming poked a bit of fun at herself when she had Clare declare, "And I don't believe in this married-hyphenating business." Very fun. I think this is a wonderful mystery work. I can't wait to read #5 in this series. I can't wait to see how Clare and Russ get through the upcoming hurdles. Ah, yes. The poem/hymn by C. Wordsworth that prefaces book and from whence the title came is so achingly beautiful. The author knows how to pick 'em.

Julia Spencer Fleming, in her new book, "To Darkness and to Death," describes the terrible events that occur in a small Adirondack town when a conglomerate called Global Wood Products is poised to purchase thousands of acres of timberland. Some residents of Millers Kill are resentful and angry about the sale. They resort to desperate acts, including kidnapping, assault, and murder to express their frustration and to exact revenge against the people who have wronged them. The main characters are Clare Fergusson, an Episcopal priest, and Russ Van Alstyne, the Police Chief of Millers Kill. Although Russ is married, he and Clare have deep feelings for one another that they try to keep hidden. However, their mutual attraction has grown stronger with time, and the strain of pretending that they are platonic friends has become almost unbearable. Spencer-Fleming has created a rich mosaic of diverse individuals to populate Millers Kill. Clare and Russ are compassionate and giving people whose self-respect and integrity prevents them from embarking on an extramarital affair. Eugene van der Hoeven is an emotionally and physically scarred recluse who stands to lose his beloved home if the land sale goes through. Randy Schoof, a logger, is deeply in debt; he panics and behaves rashly when he realizes that he will undoubtedly lose his job in the near future. The CEO of Reid-Gruyn Pulp and Paper mill, Shaun Reid, scrambles to prevent a hostile takeover of his company. The lives of all these people intersect in bizarre and unpredictable ways before the final drama plays out in an explosive conclusion. "To Darkness and to Death" has an epic, universal quality. This book is reminiscent of a mini-Greek tragedy, in which the characters destroy themselves and their loved ones because of their arrogance, greed, selfishness, and stupidity. Spencer-Fleming captures the atmosphere of Millers Kill perfectly, contrasting the beauty of the area's scenic grandeur with the sick and ugly emotions that fester beneath the surface. The novel reads quickly and the tension grows unbearably as the story progresses. I wish that Spencer-Fleming had gone with a less busy ending. Too many melodramatic events occur one after the other, weakening the book's believability. Still, Julia Spencer-Fleming has created an engrossing, thematic, and well-written thriller with a powerful message.

Julia Spencer-Fleming's mystery series set in the town of Millers Kill, New York has already won rave reviews, awards, and legions of fans. TO DARKNESS AND TO DEATH, its fourth installment, should bring even more accolades to this deserving series. Spencer-Fleming's main characters are Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne. As the two inevitably get drawn into solving mysteries in their small town, they also have developed an undeniable romantic attraction. The only problem? Clare is the town's Episcopal priest while Russ is Millers Kill's older, married police chief. The moral complexities of the pair's attraction to each other add a thought-provoking dimension to the series' excellent character development and exquisite plotting. In TO DARKNESS AND TO DEATH, both Russ and Clare's relationship, and Spencer-Fleming's storytelling skills, are taken to the next level. The author takes the risky move of setting the novel's entire action in a single day, switching rapidly from character to character as she tells her story, often revealing events only through a series of overlapping perspectives. The result is a tale that is rich in dramatic irony, as the reader soon becomes aware of mistaken identities, lies, and misunderstandings that are unapparent to the characters, who do not have the benefit of these multiple perspectives. Despite making the reader feel all-knowing, though, Spencer-Fleming still has some tricks up her sleeves, and will almost certainly still manage to surprise most readers somewhere along the way. Like other books in the series, this latest installment touches on environmental issues and on small-town politics. This time, a large estate occupied by a mysterious, reclusive burn victim is about to be sold to a large corporation and managed by the Adirondack Conservancy Corporation. The impact on the area's hunters, not to mention its logging companies and paper manufacturers, will be significant. It seems that every businessperson in town has a stake in the future of the land, and that some will go to great lengths to protect their own interests. Spencer-Fleming has a good understanding of small-town life, and TO DARKNESS AND TO DEATH underscores many of her themes. All the characters seem related in multiple ways, connections that can provide support but also complications. Near the end of the novel, Russ Van Alstyne reflects, "It's true... We are all related. If not by blood, then by bonds we don't even realize. Until they're gone." In her mysteries, Spencer-Fleming offers not only good stories, but also reflections into the nature of human connections and the human heart. --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl