A Face at the Window

October 13, 2008
Ozzie Campbell disappears just before he's about to go on trial for murdering Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree's mother in front of the then three-year-old Jake in Graves's engrossing 12th mystery to feature the handywoman
and former Manhattan financial manager who's resettled in Eastport, Maine (after 2007's The Book of Old Houses
). Jake's instincts go on high alert after a pair of obvious out-of-towners show up in Eastport, asking questions about her. Then someone abducts Leonora, the little girl Jake has been caring for while her mother is on vacation in Europe, and Leonora's teenage babysitter, Helen Nevelson. The narrative twists around Helen's desperate escape and survival story, and Jake's own tale of capture and rescue as they both battle heartless kidnappers, the harsh terrain and puppet master Campbell's efforts to force Jake to recant her witness statement. Relentless pacing, an appealing heroine and perfectly loathsome antagonists will more than satisfy series fans.

Ozzie Campbell, who murdered Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree's mother, is about to be tried 35 years after she witnessed the crime at the age of 3. But Campbell has disappeared, and, with a meticulously designed plan, he intends to prevent Jake's Witness Impact Statement from being used in the trial. The usual complement of house repairs inserted between the excitement of kidnapping, murder, and an incredible escape provide for an engaging mystery. Lindsay Ellison handles the multitude of voices for both the Maine and New York characters with ease and gives the descriptive passages the attention they deserve. She wisely doesn't overdo the suspense, and she injects the humorous dialogue with a dry wit. S.S.R. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine