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Do or Die |
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 Do or Die byBarbara Fradkin Rendezvous Press 257 pages, 2000 ISBN 0929141784 Reviewed by Phillip Tomasso III Do or Die is Barbara Fradkin’s first attempt at a crime novel, and she pulls it off with amazing ease. Fradkin mixes the briskness of murder and mayhem with an intelligent plot and three-dimensional characters, resulting in a perfect blend of intrigue and suspense. When a wealthy university student is murdered in the school’s library, Inspector Michael Green is called to solve the crime. Green learns right away that his hands are restrained by political red tape. As the Canadian inspector presses on, he quickly finds his most likely suspects to be near geniuses. Green’s involvement in the case pulls him away from his responsibilities of being a parent and husband. Plagued by the choices facing him, Green knows he cannot give less than his best to the job, and may risk paying dearly for his decision. As the plot unfolds and the true mystery becomes clearly apparent, Fradkin manages to shake things up with a seemingly never-ending variety of unpredictable twists and turns. What I liked best about Do or Die, aside from the wonderful mystery, is that the author does not cheat readers. The puzzle is there. It is solvable, if you can stop turning pages long enough to try and figure out the answer. My problem was, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I look forward to Barbara Fradkin’s next book, and I can only hope that it will be another Inspector Green crime novel. |
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