Title: Fetching Fiona and the Sketching Detective Solve the Crisscross Murders
Author: Jack McCormac
Publisher: Jack McCormac
ISBN: 9780578201917
Pages: 157
Genre: Mystery
Reviewed by: Anita Lock
Pacific Book Review
It is October and time to participate in Bonnie Glen’s annual witch contest. This is usually a joyous event in Jack and Fiona MacKay’s hometown, but not this year. The event turns gruesome when Jack, who is one of the judges, discovers that a witch display includes a dead man. He and Fiona, both amateur sleuths, begin investigations once they learn that the deceased has been identified as Randall Evans, a wealthy local accountant. Even more disconcerting is his cause of death: belladonna, a substance commonly used by ophthalmologists to dilate patients’ eyes.
As the civil engineering professor and architect, respectively, probe deeper into the mysterious case, other belladonna victims surface, such as Mr. Evan’s mother and his cousin. But with the addition of these victims, the case becomes convoluted. After considerable thinking and questioning anyone who can offer any information and only an odd set of clues, Jack and Fiona have an idea who the culprits may be. Whether or not they can confirm their theories remains to be seen.
Author Jack McCormac has a laid back approach to a twisted plot in the seventh book of his Jack MacKay mystery series. Fetching Fiona and the Sketching Detective Solve the Crisscross Murders is written in a quasi-carefree storytelling fashion from the viewpoint of Jack MacKay. Speaking directly to his audience (readers), Jack vacillates his tale of this latest mystery between three different styles: very light noir, informative (such as one would expect in a classroom), and downright goofiness. Presenting a mystery in a roundabout way, McCormac’s plot is reminiscent of the TV gumshoe Colombo.
While the former two styles mentioned above are understandable, the latter needs further explanation. McCormac has designed his main character to be a bit of a halfwit, especially in dealing with his wife, Fiona, who he absolutely adores. Jack frequently puts his foot in his mouth, which gets him in trouble, such as when they visited a flea market and Fiona had her eyes on a particular piece of jewelry. Also, Jack’s buffoonery comes out in his various side-note explanations. There are many examples of this in the book to justify these comments. McCormac’s deliberate use of banality may produce a few chuckles but it certainly throws enough red herrings into the plot to get readers wondering just what direction the case it going.
Fetching Fiona and the Sketching Detective Solve the Crisscross Murders is a perfect read for those looking for an atypical mystery with a little old-fashioned feel to it.
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