‘Blindman’s Bluff’ (HarperCollins, 2009) is the eighteenth instalment in Faye Kellerman’s Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus mystery series.
Sadly, as a reviewer I cannot dissect the development in the characters from one book to the next, as this is the first Kellerman novel I have read (I know, there are seventeen others, I’m a little behind).What I can do is offer my opinions to a reader, like me, picking such a novel up for the first time.
LAPD homicide detective Peter Decker is awakened at 3am to oversee a crime scene – to be woken at such a time means the crime cannot be too good. He arrives at Coyote Ranch, a mansion owned by billionaires Guy and Gilliam Kaffey. The Kaffeys have been murdered in their library, along with two bodyguards and a maid. One of their sons, Gil, was shot yet survives. Of course, none of this should have happened, because the mansion should have been secured with its state-of-the-art security system and around-the-clock guards. So from the onset, it looks obvious the murders are an inside job (especially with a missing guard), though the motive is quite unclear. As Decker begins to probe for clues, it seems that Guy’s brother, Mace, Guy’s two sons, Gil and Grant, head guard Neptune Brady (and many other people) all may have had reasons for committing the murders, on either a personal or business level.
In the interweaving story, Decker's wife, Rina, is called for jury duty. While she is on a break, a blind man, Harrigan, the court translator, approaches and asks her to describe two men (who are on trial) he has overheard discussing a murder. As the story progresses it seems these men know key evidence related to the Kaffey murders. Unfortunately, these men believe Harrigan has heard and seen them, and target him for elimination. He runs to both Decker and Rina for help. Decker initially dismisses him as an attention seeker, and so Rina, helping the stranger, is quickly dragged into the case and hence danger. Now, Decker must solve the murders before his wife is the next victim.
‘Blindman’s Bluff’ sounds wonderful on paper and is, for the most part, a great read. Kellerman is undoubtedly up there with some great thriller/mystery writers but I feel her story isn’t as fresh as work published by recent newcomers (such as one of my favourites, Chris Simms). Kellerman doesn’t initially spend too much time on the survivors/victims of the Kaffey murder, or really probe into the life of the Kaffeys beyond the obvious notes for plot points (she basically gives you some of the criminals whilst describing Guy Kaffey’s work). Therefore the book does, on one level, just read as a police procedural without much emotional investment (besides seeing justice done). However, when the story really kicks in you have the interweaving tale of Rina Lazarus and a tense back-and-forth between the surviving Kaffey’s, as they suspect each other for the murders and lose faith in family. This should keep most people reading.
If I could add another niggle, though: I found it bizarre to use a blind man for the great little plot piece of eavesdropping and legitimately dragging Rina into the case, and then use the man’s eccentricities to make him seem odd and untrustworthy. It is as if Kellerman wants you to think Harrigan is the actual killer, which could be one of the reasons for the book’s title, but I never once got this impression in the story. And, like so many bestselling authors I have been reading lately, Kellerman’s dialogue is just awful at times. Do these writers ever get outside any more and listen to other people? After churning out book after book, I think authors like Kellerman need a break to sharpen the writing skills that first made them famous. But of course, that is just my opinion – fans don’t strike me down (Faye Kellerman comes from an all-star writing household, particularly with her husband Jonathan, another thriller/mystery author, and son Jesse, an author and playwright).
As I said, I cannot provide a review on the series development of the main characters, but I did enjoy the interaction between Decker and Rina enough to want to read their back stories. ‘Blindman’s Bluff’ really is a solid read – predictable, yes, but still a page-turner. If you like such novels, you won’t be too disappointed.
Review by Craig Bezant
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