Sirk TV Book Review: SWISS VENDETTA [Minotaur]

The aspect of a murder in a swiss chalet in the mountains during a storm brings to mind the texture of an Agatha Christie novel with the aspect of those being capable of such an act being brought together by the lives that build them. "Swiss Vendetta" [Tracee DeHahn/Minotaur/365pgs] begins with a woman's body being found on the edge of a prominent estate. The lead investigator Agnes Luthi along with the blue blood family of the estate in question, various servants, a handful of authorities, various guests and an older statesman in an adjoining mansion, all have parts to play in various ways. The aspect of motivations but also tenets of class are important balance points to be sure but they are based in belief in many ways of the characters and what they believe is their due. Vladimir Arsnov is an important character here because his perspective, especially through his betrothed's diaries or would be parables in his escape from Russia during World War II and then in his joining of the French Resistance.

These lessons or temperaments of human behavior have an undeniable power (yet they are long winded at many points). It is this melding of emotional resonance that allows the more analytical Luthi to balance her investigation even though this is one of her first forays into this kind of homicide (having previously been in financial crimes). The different psychological structure of many of the characters, primarily the estate-owning Pellotons, offer conflicting or perhaps inundated reasons for acting the way they do. But then Luhti has her own demons in a way that she has to come to terms of without begetting her own authority but also turning her back on certain elements of her own life that she herself might be wrong about. Ultimately the progressions come back to perspective of events and secrets that are only uncovered with different characters coming into play. This gives the twisting of the plot points stakes while not understating the eventual climax which takes all these elements into account while wrapping up various necessary strands. Luhti is about the human condition while not losing it in herself. That is the beauty of the story in its uncontrived nuance. We are creatures of habit but sometimes we don't see the connections unfolding right in front of us. B

By Tim Wassberg