Freelance investigator Dek Elstrom is
still trying to fight his local city hall to regain zoning rights to the
tower—no castle, just a tower—in which he lives, but strange things start
occurring. A large hole is dug for a new McMansion in a block of bungalows, a
phone call from someone thought to be dead, and Dek’s best friend and loved
ones suddenly disappearing. Dek is on
the trail of answers and trying to stay alive.
I have two admissions from the very start;
1) I have loved this series but, 2) this is not my favorite book of the series.
Among Frederickson’s strengths is
his ability to create a vivid atmosphere from the very beginning. He has a great eye for detail and conveys it
in a way that you are part of the scene.
You feel the cold, you experience the turbulence of the boat ride and
the driving rain; the tension becomes real and the atmosphere,
threatening.
He also has an excellent ear for
dialogue, whether in the narrative or between characters. It’s clear; it has
the right edge to it and just enough dry humor.
The main characters are impossible to
resist; Dek, who is trying hard to rebuild his life and his wonderful
brilliant, completely devoid of any fashion-sense friend Leo are interesting
and people about whom you want to know more.
A few characters, however, feel as though they have become a bit of a
joke that has gone on too long.
The weakest element, I felt, was actually
the plot. It seemed we didn’t really
know what was going on until nearly half-way through the story. Sometimes, this can work. In this case, it was only the appeal of Leo
and an act of faith that draws you on.
“The Dead Caller From Chicago” is still a
good read. If anything, I feel my
frustration is in feeling that Mr. Frederickson is capable of doing so much
more. I’m waiting…..
THE DEAD CALLER FROM CHICAGO (Myst-Dek
Elstrom-Chicago-Contemp) – Good
Frederickson, Jack – 4th in
series
Minotaur Books, 2013
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