The Dark Lantern by Gerri Brightwell
My review
rating: 2 of 5 stars
The plot was quite plodding. The dialogue between the characters was often unnecessarily drawn out. I think this author is capable of better work. The initial premise was good and the female characters initially intriguing but the story didn’t build up as it should. The tale’s climax was so-so.
rating: 5 of 5 stars
From my new and brief experience with mystery novels, this is the best written mystery that I have read. The plots takes unexpected twists and turns; nothing is predictable or blatantly foreshadowed. Tana French writes with a vivid clarity that generated an “aha” experience for me. For example:
“Obviously, I have always wished I could remember what happened in that wood. The very few people who know about the whole Knocknaree thing invariably suggest, sooner or later, that I should hypnotic regression, but for some reason I find the idea distasteful. I’m deeply suspicious of anything with a whiff of New Age about it-not because of the practices themselves, which as far as I can tell from a safe distance may well have a lot to them, but because of the people who get involved, who always seem to be the kind who corner you at parties to explain how they discovered that they are survivors and deserve to be happy. I worry that I might come out of hypnosis with that sugar-high glaze of self-satisfied enlightenment, like a seventeen-year-old who’s just discovered Kerouac, and start proselytizing strangers in pubs.” (Page 21 of the 2007 hardcover edition)
With that three sentence paragraph, French has provided the mental state and philosophy of the protagonist, Rob Ryan. When he was twelve, Rob and his two best friends went missing in their neighborhood wood. Only Rob was found with someone else’s blood in his shoes. His two friends were never found and the trauma suppressed his memory of those lost hours.
Twenty years later, Rob is a murder detective and he returns to Knocknaree to investigate the death of a twelve year old girl. While he knows that he is committing professional suicide, he is drawn to the case and the potential connections to his friends’ unsolved case. The reader is drawn to the the unfolding of the present day investigation and the detective’s attempted remembrances of that day in the wood. Many author’s rely on the tormented and flawed detective and the literary device can be tired. But French has written a troubled protagonist that is clever, self-aware of his issues, unable or unwilling to work on his mental health, and doesn’t express a self pitying narrative. French made me contemplate for how long and in what measure does past trauma excuse present day transgressions.
Some readers may not enjoy the internal struggles of the protagonist. But I felt that his internal monologue combined with both cases made for an interesting and dark read. This tale answers some mysteries and leaves others unsolved. If you like your mysteries wrapped up in a neat bow, this is not the book for you. This story has kept me thinking about the characters and themes and I value that experience. I look forward to reading French’s next book.
Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged . You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you!
1. I have had 14 roommates/housemates.
2. But I didn’t live with my first roommate until junior year when I lived in the Chi-O house. (About 20 more girls in the house at that time.)
3. I didn’t know that relationships didn’t have to be so much work until I met my husband Rob.
4. Connecticut is the 8th state that I have lived in.
5. The worst job that I had was cleaning the Akron Rubber Bowl on Saturday mornings. (That didn’t last long….)
6. My favorite healthy snack is apple slices with peanut butter.
7. My favorite unhealthy snack is Tostitos Lime Chips with Traders Joe’s Double-Roasted Salsa.
8. I speak enough French to get by. But I’d love to become fluent.
9. I regret never having learned to read sheet music.
10. According to my mother, my first word was “purple.” It is still my favorite color.
11. For the first time in my life, I am going to be a bridesmaid this October.
12. I love going to the beach, even though I am usually the palest person there.
13. I don’t cook often but I can follow a recipe.
14. My favorite bookstore is Politics & Prose in Washington, DC.
15. I don’t like football.
16. I’m still bad at math. (Thank you, tip calculator on cell phone!)
17. At a party, I’d be happy if I had 1-2 good conversations, rather than working the room.
18. I used to pace, now I am a putzer.
19. I believe that ghosts exist.
20. My wedding gown was pink and I wish I could wear it again.
21. My Myers-Briggs type is INTG. (Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging)
22. I have started writing a blog.
23. My dream job would be in photography.
24. The thing I miss most about college is dancing with my girlfriends every weekend.
25. I wish we could dress like we were in Mad Men.
