Fall Guy : A Rachel Alexander Mystery

Rating:
Summary: complex and multi-layered crime thriller
Review: Detective Michael Brody informs private investigator Rachel Alexander that she is the executor of Timothy O'Fallon's will which perplexes her because she doesn't know anyone by that name. By the time she meets with Detective Brody, she remembers that Timothy attended a post-traumatic stress group. She and her therapy dog Dashiell provided assistance to the attendees. What puzzles Rachel is that he only spoke one sentence to her and she never thought Timothy was the type who would have committed suicide.

Brody warns her that Parker Bowling, a man Timothy took into his home to help him out and make a new start in life will contact her to get his things out of the sealed apartment. He's a liar, a con man and a thief according to Brody so Rachael should watch him at all times. When they finally meet, he tells Rachel he is staying at his aunt's house, the same relative the police later find floating in the river. When Rachel and Dashiell pass a dumpster, the dog's training kicks in and Rachel knows she's going to find a dead baby in it. She's right; the dead person is one of Timothy's siblings. Rachel now believes Timothy was murdered by a ruthless person who set Parker up to be the fall guy.

It's been a long time since a Rachel Alexander mystery was published but she's back and better than ever. The heroine never understands why she was made the executor of Timothy's will but she's glad he did it to because she was able to prove he didn't commit suicide. FALL GUY is a well written cerebral mystery where characterization is more important than the action scenes of this complex and multi-layered crime thriller.

Harriet Klausner


Rating:
Summary: Great story--missing the personal touch
Review: I love Fall Guy, but I still miss her boyfriend and his wonderful German shepherd. Wish they'd get back together. The books had more sparkle and Rachel was less depressed.

Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: Ms. Benjamin is a gifted writer and this book is up to her always high standards. In addition to being a well written mystery, this book is the most touching account I've read about the impact of September 11th. While never overt, the devastation wrought that day, the pain and loss and change to us all are there in the background, part of the characters just as they are part of the reader. I can't recommend this book highly enough, even if mysteries are not your standard fare I urge you to make an exception for this truly exceptional work.



Rating:
Summary: Not just for dog lovers
Review: Susan Conant and Carol Lea Benjamin have created strong female detectives who use dog training to solve mysteries. But the resemblance ends there. Rachel Alexander is a tough New York licensed PI, not an amateur. She lives alone, without a steady boyfriend, and has a loving but realistic relationship with her dog, a pit bull named Dashiell.

Conant's Holly Winter is warm and fuzzy; Benjamin's Rachel Alexander is street-smart and tough. And while Holly Winter is unabashedly a dog fanatic, Rachel Alexander doesn't go into rhapsodies over Dashiell. He's a good dog. She's a good trainer. What else would you expect? Or put another way, you don't have to like dogs to enjoy this mystery, while enjoyment Susan Conant's books will be deepened by dog ownership. I learned that first-hand!

And as a result, Benjamin's plots tend to be edgier. Here Rachel discovers she has been named executor of a will for Timothy O'Fallon, a man she met briefly in a pet-therapy group. She agrees, suspecting that the dead man had a reason for asking her to do the job. And of course she's getting paid the customary executor's fee.

Rachel learns Tim was a cop from a family with tragedies to rival the more famous Irish family, the Kennedys. She also begins to wonder if his death really was a suicide, especially since she discovers a note from a family member, "I saw what you did." A tragic event from Tim's childhood seems to be haunting him today.

Up to the very last chapter, I was riveted by the characters, writing and plot. I loved Rachel's discussion of therapy dogs. I enjoyed her interactions with the off-beat Village people. Her encounter with Detective Michael Brody seems headed for a longer romance.

Experienced mystery readers will look for villains close to home. Trying not to spoil the plot, I'd have to say that Benjamin doesn't play by the usual detective rules of when to introduce the villain. The climactic scene -- de rigeur for modern mysteries -- seems a little forced.

If you like to go back and say, "Ah, I see where I could have guessed the ending," you'll be disappointed. But if you want a fast-paced absorbing read, and a chance to spend time in the Village with some interesting people and a delightful dog, this novel is for you. I awarded five stars because I wish I'd had this book on my last airplane ride!

Rating:
Summary: A terrific New York mystery
Review: This is a terrific book. The characters are compelling, the plot complex, the pace swift. Rachel's evident professionalism is in evidence throughout, while her dog, Dash, adds another dimension to her activities. Beware, though, if you're expecting Dash to solve the crime. Fall Guy is surpringly Hard-boiled, a lot closer to Sue Grafton, then to Lillian Jackson Braun. I heartily recommend it.