Tradition of Deceit
Dollycas’s ThoughtsWow, this was such a fascinating read I feel as if I devoured it.
What seems as a ordinary date turns Chloe’s and Roelke’s lives and relationship inside out and upside down. They attend the wedding of one a Roelke’s cop buddies and Chloe just feels like she doesn’t fit in. She takes off the next day to help a friend in Minneapolis questioning her whole relationship with Roelke. Then Roelke gets a phone call telling him his friend and former partner was shot and killed while on duty. He throws himself into the investigation and keeps at it even when he is told to back off. Chloe barely gets into Minneapolis and she gets wrapped up in a murder investigation herself. She really could use Roelke’s help but after the death of his friend he has basically shut her out of his life. It seems “deceit” is everywhere.
Ernst intricately meshes these stories together along with a story from the past that drew me right in. It was not only the murder mysteries that captivated me but the secrets of our main characters as well. We really get to know more about Roelke and Chloe has to face the reality of being in love with a police officer. The story from the past gives us a look back at immigrants that had come to the area in hopes of a better life. The main story lines also look at the homeless and what they endure. She also shines a light on domestic violence.
The main part of the story takes place in the early 1980’s so there are no cell phones or internet which adds its own dynamic to the story. Research and crime investigation is done with old fashioned footwork and checking out books and written documents. Police officers don’t have radios hooked to their collars and need to check in via call stations while they are out “walking their beat” and landlines are the way to get in touch with your family and friends, no texting, emails or quick calls. Cases are not solved quickly as all the investigative technology we now take for granted has even been invented yet. The research Chloe is helping with is also done with document research and stories that have been told and retold over the years.
I think this is the best book so far in this series. The characters continue to grow and evolve and the settings were interesting and the topics are still relevant today as the United States looks at immigration reform and the plight of the homeless is still a major problem today. Domestic violence has been around forever and we see that in that story here as well. Ernst presents all topics in a fictional way that while entertaining to read also makes you think. We learn a little history along the way too.
This definitely deserves more than 5 stars!
