My first read of 2019 was a good one: Fugitive Colors by Margaret Maron, which is book 8 in her Sigrid Harald series. It’s a police procedural, though the first half of the book is mostly a dive into Sigrid’s grief during her leave of absence from the police force in New York. She’s a homicide detective, and her partner was an older artist who died in a car crash in California before the book began. Sigrid takes on the sole responsibility of being his executor, which puts her into contact with a variety of art dealers and artists, one of whom dies halfway through the book.
A few observations:
- This book was published in 1995, which means I knew I had only a slight chance of finding an unreliable narrator in the book. So refreshing!
- I was happy to read a mystery, not a thriller. There was a little less action-y peril, and that fit my reading mood.
- Sigrid’s quirk is her interest in puzzle rings, not opera or cryptic crosswords.
- I’m not sure I’ve read a book with three short prequel sections versus one. It worked well in this one.
I have at least one more Maron sitting on my shelves, and I’m enthusiastic about trying her Deborah Knott series. I’d appreciate your recommendations for other Maron books to try. Happy reading to you this new year!
Ms. Wordopolis Reads 