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Pif Magazine
Pif Magazine |
The Secret Keepers
How often do we read a mystery and strongly suspect the outcome well in advance of "The End"? We’re not disappointed, but we’re not surprised, either. Careful reading often solves the mystery before the author gets around to revealing whodunit; the fun is watching the whole shebang unfold and the truth reveal itself to the characters, especially the starring detective. Sometimes, though not often, an author will go ahead and reveal who committed the crime in question and leave the reader to watch as the detective finds his or her way through the maze of details. This is rare, though, as such a literary feat must be performed with all the skill of a brain surgeon with scalpel in hand. Julie Mars shows just such skill in The Secret Keepers, as the outcome of the story retains its power to surprise the reader despite the omniscient viewpoint. Throughout the story, even as one is privy to who is doing what to whom, the level of tension Mars maintains throughout the book keeps the story suspenseful and entertaining. Let me start by saying that while The Secret Keepers is not a "whodunit" in the traditional sense of the word — as in mysteries like Sue Grafton’s A is for Alibi or Steven Womack’s Harry James Denton mysteries — it is a mystery in the sense that the characters are all working at odds against each other, crimes are perpetrated and there is a detective. Having said that, I’ll add that Julie Mars delivers a story that transcends serial mysteries, both in the depths of the characters and their motivations, and in the crafting of the story. Steve Dant is a strange man. Our omniscient narrator never reveals through gasp or groan or people turning away from him on the street that Steve is hideous or deformed, so we can assume he is reasonably easy on the eyes. And while he runs, works out, watches movies, goes to museums, is intelligent and intuitive, and appears to be able to drink socially, he can get a date (read: one-nighter) but not a girlfriend. Instead, his life is a litany of moving around and starting over. Ex-military, ex-junkie and alone in the world, Steve works for a pittance, lives in a hovel and has no relationships. None. Not even one. This should have irritated me, but Mars encourages the willing suspension of disbelief through her establishment of his character, by her skillful method of laying out the rules of her fiction, and with confidence in which she proceeds. After finding a stranger’s keys, making copies of them, and entering her life uninvited and unannounced, why should we like or care about Steve Dant? This is not a nice person, our minds should be screaming; whether a stalker, a potential rapist, or merely a scary screwball, he not someone around whom a novel should be fashioned. But Mars introduces the premise of her story — that a man like Steve Dant wants to enter the life of this vulnerable lady fair of the dropped keys and "be her silent port in the storm … and help hold her up" — with very little fuss. The story proceeds so smoothly that we accept Steve’s altruistic motives. What ensues from the time Steve begins inserting himself into Christine Timberlake’s life, a young woman with a few secrets of her own, is fascinating because while we, the readers, can see how misunderstanding layered upon misunderstanding has worked to make a mess of Christine’s life (and Steve’s as well), the characters take a bit more time to come to grips with their messed-up pasts. Steve, Christine, and her ex-husband, Parker, are all secret keepers, and the series of coincidences by which they all end up bumping into one another should be ludicrous, but tight plotting and credible characters keep the story unfolding in a persuasive and compelling fashion. Not only is Mars’ fiction expertly founded on the rule of cause and effect, it also balances "being" with "doing" in a way that shores up the structure of the story and allows the characters to develop before our eyes. Steve steals Christine’s keys and enters her life without her knowledge. Meanwhile, Christine’s ex-husband has hired a detective to find out where Christine has squirreled away their mentally troubled young daughter, Petra. The detective, a great character named Greg Litner, doesn’t realize that Steve, a man he observes in Christine’s apartment, is not really part of Christine’s life. A random act of violence against Christine throws Steve, Parker, Christine and Greg into a melee of misunderstandings about who is doing what to whom, and the fact that the reader knows all while the characters do not, adds immensely to the enjoyment of the climax and denouement of the novel. For this reason, I am glad Mars opted to work with the pesky omniscient narrator instead of having characters explaining their motivations to me at the end of the book after all the action has taken place, or interrupting the flow of things for exposition that wouldn‘t sound as good as it looks. To have seen this story unfold only through the eyes of one or possibly two characters would have diminished its power substantially. Mars wisely chooses a panoramic view, making the reading of the novel almost like watching a movie. Unfortunately, while I can see the action of the novel working well on the big screen, the wonderful characters would probably lose something in translation, primarily because they are all so darn secretive and uncommunicative. Speaking of characters, Greg Litner proves a character worthy of a quick sidebar. As I read The Secret Keepers, there were moments when I wished that the book had been written as a vehicle for Greg Litner, P.I.. Though Greg doesn’t actively enter the story until page 96, his character is at once so engaging, and continues to grow and capture the reader’s interest so gratifyingly, that he quickly becomes an indispensable addition to the story – a nice contrast to the angst of Steve, Christine and Parker. Not just any detective would have served The Secret Keepers so well. Litner, if Julie Mars so desires, could carry a book — or a series of books — all on his own. The fact that he feels like he failed his client during the climax of the novel in no way undermines the strength of his character. Greg Litner is not a secret keeper, and his vulnerability is refreshing in a way that I can only describe as "healthier" than that of the other characters. Perhaps my only complaint about The Secret Keepers is that the ending almost works like the old deus ex machina device in which our storyteller ties up all her loose ends by providing a solution beyond mortal powers. Steve, after all, does commit a crime, even though his intentions are good (and this is all I’m going to say because otherwise I will ruin it for you). Though the FBI and other suits and uniforms do make a very brief appearance, Steve calls his lawyer and maintains his right to remain silent, and he remains silent evermore. He is not ever really held responsible for his criminal actions, well-intended though they were. But this is a negligible complaint as we are happy that things work out as they do. Ultimately, a bit of forced problem solving is a small price to pay for a satisfying read. And The Secret Keepers is an all-around, satisfying read. Tell us what you think. Email talkback@pifmagazine.com Want Pif to review your book? Candace Moonshower is an army brat who taught herself to type the summer she turned eight, knowing even then she would write. Now a graduate student at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, she studies English and writes both fiction and nonfiction. Candace's personal and ongoing work involves researching and writing about the cultural aftermath of the Vietnam War, especially with regard to the men and women that served and the families they left behind, in the hopes of promoting an understanding of our national consciousness before, during and since our involvement there. |
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