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Wake Up Little Susie |
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| Wake Up Little Susie: A Sam McCain Mystery by Ed Gorman Carroll & Graf 256 Pages, 2000 ISBN 0786706651 Reviewed by Marion E. Cason Wake Up Little Susie, a novel featuring Sam McCain, begins on September 14, 1957. What's so important about that date? That's the day the Ford Motor Company unveiled the Edsel all across America with daylong events. At the local Ford dealership in Black River Falls, Iowa, Sam takes a quick peek at the Edsel when the owner, Dick Keys, grabs Sam and drags him to the back of the dealership. Dick has found Susan Squires dead in the trunk of a new, ill-fated Edsel. He wants Sam to see the body before Sheriff Cliff finds out - and ruins his grand unveiling celebration. Susan was the beautiful wife of the politically ambitious county attorney. Sam is a lawyer who also works as a private investigator for Judge Esme Anne Whitney. He is easy going, trustworthy and a willing listener. Judge Whitney asks Sam to investigate the case without ruffling the sheriff's psyche. There is conflict between the judge, the sheriff and the district attorney. Suspicions are plentiful when lives are threatened, past histories surface, and Sam's love interest is kidnapped. When the killer confesses to Sam, everyone is shocked and dismayed. Sam, on the other hand, feels that something is still wrong - until the final piece of the puzzle falls into place. I enjoyed this mystery for its pace and detail of life in the 1950’s. Gorman has successfully plunked us down in the heart of Middle America. WAKE UP LITTLE SUSIE, the second Sam McCain mystery, is also the name of a snappy song The Everly Brothers made famous in that period. Gorman has a refreshing mystery series going. I look forward to more Sam McCain adventures. |
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