George is Beckett is naïve. He's
invited to a party at the home of super-rich Senator Gregory and envisions
himself shaking the senator's hand, telling him he admires his work
and learning something about the Washington scene. Instead, he
witnesses two of the senator's nephews molest a virtually unconscious
girl. It's the turning point in his life.
George castigates himself for not doing
something about the rape until it's over. He's even more unhappy when
both the father of the girl and a representative from the Gregory
family come to solicit his help. The Gregory's want him to cover-up
what he saw. The girl's father wants justice.
Years later another murder on Cape Cod
appears to involve the Gregorys. George is now an Assistant District
Attorney. He owes his job to the Gregorys, but can he let this murder
go by and not do the right thing?
The super-rich, politically well
connected family is featured in the book, but the story isn't about
the crimes or misdemeanors committed by family members, it's about
the cover-up of those criminal behaviors and what happens to the
people who are bought off. It affects each life in a different way,
but all the people who accept the largess to keep quiet are changed.
The story opens well. Although it's
clear from the beginning who is responsible for the murder and rape,
the story has momentum because the main character, George, follows
the clues and changes his outlook by what he finds. That said, the
book begins to drag about halfway through. George visits a great many
people but asks basically the same questions. It gets boring, but there is enough
violence to keep the story moving.
The setting is good. Wallace clearly
knows Cape Cod. T
he other settings are well done although they
range from Idaho to Costa Rica. I enjoyed the book and would
recommend it as a character study rather than a mystery.
I reviewed this book for Net Galley.
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