"No one noticed, but above the cityscape black clouds came rolling in from the southeast. They were filled with lightening sparks."
 |
The Hush Hush Murders:
The Embassy Row Incident by H.R.G. White Trafford Publishing
book review by Omar Figueras
The Hush Hush Murders: The Embassy Row Incident by H.R.G. White is told through the point of view of an omniscient narrator as the story follows Margaret, accompanied by her black Labrador, Chester, as they witness a shooting. The dying young man left to bleed to death in the street tells Margaret one cryptic and seemingly absurd word – "Condor" – and her whole world changes. She unwittingly becomes part of the investigation and the reader is brought along for the ride.
White's writing is quick paced and sharp, with her strongest point being her dialogue. Her characters are three-dimensional people whose realistic tone adds flavor to the piece. The author's style is conventional, but she has her language has its own flecks of brilliance. There is a signature quality to her writing that is all her own. Having worked in Washington D.C. for decades, the author has a command for the formality and casualness of everyday life of the government elite. White presents the backstage of this world making it easily accessible to the reader.
There is a lack of focus in the beginning of the book as the narrator's omniscient eye floats above and around the characters. Once the story settles in Margaret's perspective the plot begins to take on shape and momentum. The protagonist, Margaret, is smart, resourceful and an extremely likable character; she is tough yet cautious. The only other character with enough charm to usurp her stage presence is Chester, her black Lab. Despite his being a dog, Chester brings a curiosity and freshness to the story without succumbing to the pitfalls of being an typical owner-and-pet story, bringing a sweetness that without him it would have lacked. In all, Ms. White's book is a tight, little mystery that does not disappoint.
.