Review - Madison Square Murders by C.S. Poe

Detective Everett Larkin has an excellent memory. It’s not just photographic. Everett has a very rare quality that allows him to remember everything he sees. Everything he hears. Everything he feels. It may seem like a very good attribute for a cold case detective to have, but the emotional cost is quite high, since any event in his day may send Larkin spiraling back to relieve a past trauma. His latest case proves to be a minefield. A storm unearths a skeleton, and the only clue is a death mask. To help identify the victim and understand the clue, Larkin seeks the help of Detective Ira Doyle, a police artist. Doyle seems to be the complete opposite of Larkin, yet he appears to understand Larkin’s inner turmoil better than anyone ever has.

This author delights in creating quirky yet endearing characters. In the Snow and Winter series, one of the two protagonists is extremely sensitive to light and color blind. Apparently needing to go one better, we now have Everett Larkin, a man with a perfect long-term memory and unparalleled observational skills. His ability to deduce things about the people he meets after just one glance will put you in mind of Sherlock Holmes. However, where Holmes’ deductions often left people impressed, Larkin frequently employs his skill to intimidate obstinate witnesses and coworkers.

Larkin is a very sympathetic character. His talents come at a very high emotional cost and are rooted in an extreme act of violence in his past. One particular thing that Larkin repeats to himself several times in the story really stuck with me: “People don’t want to know.” They will act interested and ask how it’s going, but they really don’t want to know. Especially when the pain is extreme and deep-rooted. It seems harsh, but it also feels true.

I would assume that calling Larkin’s newfound partner “Doyle” is yet another allusion to Sherlock Holmes. Ira Doyle is much more than just a foil for Larkin’s skills. He seems to understand more than most what drives the man, and unlike everyone else, Doyle really wants to know what happened, but only if and when Larkin is ready to tell. It’s easy to see why the two are so attracted to each other.

The mystery holds together well, and works as the driver of the new relationship, but, in many ways, it’s secondary to the personal dramas Larkin and Doyle are going through. This is the start of another series, so we’ll have to see how the other mysteries unfold.

“Madison Square Murders” is available from Smashwords or Amazon (commissionable link).