Author Matt Goldman is part of that tribe of television writers who have made a successful jump into print. These authors have in common their ability to establish steadily rising action with no lulls and visual imaginations that let them describe scenes so that readers can easily picture them too. And they aren’t reluctant to deploy a little authentic humour. Goldman’s first book, Gone to Dust, was nominated for a number of awards. The Murder Show, will likely garner equal attention.
In this story, Ethan Harris is the 40-ish showrunner for a television series called The Murder Show. He’s abandoned New York and arrived tonight in his home town of Minneapolis, Minnesota, hoping a different setting and atmosphere will inspire him with an idea for the show’s next season. He has a little time, because the screenwriters and actors are on strike, but not much. And the idea has to be good, because the show is one bad idea away from being cancelled altogether.
Before long, he renews the relationship with his high school best friend and almost-girlfriend Ro Greeman, who lives in the house behind his. She’s on the Minneapolis police force, as is her high school boyfriend Marty Mathis. This brings Ethan into much too much contact with Marty, who remains hostile even after all these years. Ethan doesn’t like him either and always thought he was the only obstacle to his and Ro’s getting together.
Ro has an idea for The Murder Show. Of course. Ethan’s heard so many of these ideas from friends, family and strangers that he’s initially sceptical, but he hears her out and, over time, her idea grows on him. She wants him to recreate the mysterious death of their friend Ricky O’Shea. Ricky was killed in a hit-and-run on a rural road as he walked to get help after his car broke down. He left Ethan and Ro in the car. Not only are they curious, but they have some residual guilt for letting him go for help alone. Maybe the show would prompt someone who knows something to come forward, even after all this time.
Eventually Ro reveals that this isn’t the only such fatality. Ricky’s death was 22 years ago but in the intervening years a number of young men with car trouble have perished on roads within 100 miles or so of Minneapolis. The time lapse between deaths, the multiple jurisdictions involved, the seemingly innocent circumstances, have conspired to prevent a thorough investigation of any possible links. If Ro hadn’t noticed a recent case so similar to Ricky’s and started digging, she wouldn’t have recognised the pattern, either.
In the way of stories of this type, Ethan, at first reluctantly, agrees to help Ro look into the case, which she has to do on her own time, because the department (that is, her old flame Marty) doesn’t approve or want her to. Although Ro’s request could reflect wanting to spend time with Ethan or be just that she needs help and can’t get it through official channels – whichever – Ethan turns out to be a resourceful partner.
Because the story starts so long in the past, it provides a number of flashbacks to those high school days and the group of friends whom they can track down and interview. What had they missed back then? It doesn’t take long before they realise Ricky was dealing drugs, which explains his fancy car and his generosity with his friends, which he’d attributed to a rich uncle. Back then, the kids didn’t ask questions. Which was probably a good thing, because Ethan and Ro discover a number of difficult secrets their friends were hiding.
Ethan doesn’t know how his relationship with Ro may develop. Is she interested in him or not? In any case, her colleague Anna Sykes is not just bright and attractive, she’s also quite interested. They have a couple of dates that end up in her bedroom. The quick-witted, teasing banter between Ethan and these women deserves mention, because it rings true. That’s another thing good television writers can do – write believable dialogue.
Though much of the story takes place in urban Minneapolis, the trips to the rural areas, past and present, are well described. Minnesota’s nickname is Land of 10,000 Lakes, and Ro and Ethan do end up rowing themselves either away from or into danger on them. I won’t say which.
Fast-paced at both the plot and character development levels, this book is one a great many readers will enjoy. I certainly did.
For more in Minnesota check out Marcie Rendon’s Broken Fields or Sung J Woo’s Deep Roots.
Forge
Print
£14.51
CFL Rating: 4 Stars
