Scan barcode
A review by elainea
Crossroad by W.H. Cameron, Bill Cameron
5.0
As a fan of mysteries solved by complicated characters, it's tough to pinpoint what I enjoyed most about CROSSROAD.
Sure, Melisande, such a compelling (if inward-facing) character. Prickly in all ways, but with a tender emotional core buried deep, deep inside, a heart that's suffered more than one person's share of bruising. Or maybe the fact that, because I've spent so much time in Central Oregon's High Desert, it felt like I'd tumbled though the pages and landed in the stark beauty of the wilderness around Bend, Oregon. The sights, the sounds, the smells all came rushing in on the book's observant prose. Or maybe it's just that it's damn easy to fall into a good mystery when you're in the hands of a writer near the pinnacle of their craft.
Having read Mr. Cameron's KADESH novels, I knew I was in for an terrific ride in CROSSROAD, but I wasn't quite prepared for the experience of the deep, atmospheric immersion of the read. I kept thinking, "This book is what would happen if David Lynch filmed an 'Appalachian mystery' he set in Central Oregon, instead."
It's all of that and more. Chapter One starts with a bang, but thereafter, like crossing a mountain pass, the story's ascent is a steady climb toward a downhill run. All tension wound breathlessly tight, until a satisfying denouement that left me teary. I didn't want it to end.
This is probably not a book for a reader interested in a quick, easy-to-read mystery, nor for readers who prefer their mysteries led by clean-cut PIs or retirees with time on their hands. There are character questions left unanswered (for later books, I presume) and important life choices still to make, but if you're a fan of Ron Rash or Kate Atkinson, if complexity and a little darkness in both the mystery and the main character is your jam, CROSSROAD will definitely satisfy.
Sure, Melisande, such a compelling (if inward-facing) character. Prickly in all ways, but with a tender emotional core buried deep, deep inside, a heart that's suffered more than one person's share of bruising. Or maybe the fact that, because I've spent so much time in Central Oregon's High Desert, it felt like I'd tumbled though the pages and landed in the stark beauty of the wilderness around Bend, Oregon. The sights, the sounds, the smells all came rushing in on the book's observant prose. Or maybe it's just that it's damn easy to fall into a good mystery when you're in the hands of a writer near the pinnacle of their craft.
Having read Mr. Cameron's KADESH novels, I knew I was in for an terrific ride in CROSSROAD, but I wasn't quite prepared for the experience of the deep, atmospheric immersion of the read. I kept thinking, "This book is what would happen if David Lynch filmed an 'Appalachian mystery' he set in Central Oregon, instead."
It's all of that and more. Chapter One starts with a bang, but thereafter, like crossing a mountain pass, the story's ascent is a steady climb toward a downhill run. All tension wound breathlessly tight, until a satisfying denouement that left me teary. I didn't want it to end.
This is probably not a book for a reader interested in a quick, easy-to-read mystery, nor for readers who prefer their mysteries led by clean-cut PIs or retirees with time on their hands. There are character questions left unanswered (for later books, I presume) and important life choices still to make, but if you're a fan of Ron Rash or Kate Atkinson, if complexity and a little darkness in both the mystery and the main character is your jam, CROSSROAD will definitely satisfy.