The Skirt Man

April 17, 2006
In this sequel to Tabula Rasa
(2005), the house fire that kills Morgan Mason, an eccentric old farmer (aka "the Skirt Man"), in Killdeer, N.Y., is so bizarre that some of his neighbors suspect spontaneous human combustion. State trooper Sebastian Bly and fire marshal Billy Nightingale uncover the more prosaic and heart-wrenching truth, assisted by Annie Bly, a rather ditzy reporter for the local newspaper. Given Edgar-nominee Reuben's two decades working in the male-dominated field of fire investigation, it's baffling to see her write a book almost devoid of independent female characters. Annie, the narrator, is defined by her titles—Sebastian's wife, Billy's sister, mother of teen ballet star Meredith—while avoiding any associated responsibility, from her opening disclaimer of "I don't as a rule write books" to her desperate evasion when her boss attempts to make her editor-in-chief. The details of the investigation are fascinating; Reuben writes what she knows, and it shows. Too bad she doesn't extend that to writing about capable, professional women.