Customer Reviews

Over Tumbled Graves

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Jess Walter understands something that escapes many thriller writers: Character comes first. This first novel has a gritty and credible plot about a series of murders in Spokane, Wash., but Walter goes beyond the usual cliches of the genre by building his characters carefully and believably. Det. Caroline Mabry is an intriguing, complicated and wholly sympathetic escort into the world that Walters evokes, a dangerous world of prostitutes, johns and seedy bars. Because we care about her, and about her sometimes partner Alan Dupree, we care even more deeply about the case that consumes her. Walter also does an exceptional job of capturing the flavor of Spokane, a mid-sized Northwest city with a super-sized inferiority complex. The plot may invite comparisons to Spokane's real-life serial killer story, but Walter's story veers off in unexpected ways. An assured first effort by a fine writer.

Just finished reading Over Tumbled Graves by Jess Walter. He's written before as a reporter but this is his first novel. The lead character is a female detective and she's trying to catch a serial killer. Even though it sounds like the same old stuff, this one is different.

I get tired of reading books where the detective sifts through tons of evidence and only follows the good leads, as if they know in advance "who done it". This book has just enough bad leads, wrong conclusions and less than perfect cops to make it interesting.

I'm not sure who recommended I read this one, but I enjoyed it and am glad I gave it a try.

If you're looking for incredible writing, great character development and a plot that'll make you awaken at 3 a.m., wanting to crawl out of bed and read more then reach for Jess Walter's "Over Tumbled Graves". It's joined my list of all-time favorites.

Walter crafts an immensely satisfying mystery that tugs the reader through every twist and turn. You'll race through the pages, unable to put the book down until you reach its conclusion and then, when you do finish, you'll feel saddened that the joy ride has ended. Don't miss this one.

This may be Jess Walter's first foray into fiction, but you wouldn't know it from reading Over Tumbled Graves. His writing is immediate and powerful, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. His reporter's eye is evident in his accurate, detailed descriptions. I also enjoyed his rather jaundiced take of profilers.

"Over Tumbled Graves" by Jess Walter is an exquisite, thought-provoking first novel.

It is a story of conflict, contrast and choice set amidst a serial killer investigation in Spokane.

A drug bust gone awry leads to the discovery of a string of hooker killings, all with an identical signature.

Spokane's Major Crime Unit's initial suspect is linked to two brutal non-serial murders as well. The more they learn about him, the more intangible he becomes.

The characters are complicated, believable, motivated---their internal dialogue and tensions fueling the plot. Alan Dupree's cynical, sarcastic, acidic wit is a highlight.

Competing "celebrity" profilers, the attendant media circus, condescending FBI "assistance" and a mid-investigation change of lead detectives distract and surround the investigation.

In the end, it is the Spokane MCU's detailed, tedious, credible investigative work ethic that corners the perp. That final answer is unexpected and complex.

A lack of cardboard stereotypes, superb misdirection and smoothly flowing action earn "Over Tumbled Graves" highly recommended status.

While it has been mentioned in other reviews that the plot of this story is somewhat derivative, I would say that all stories work or don't work due to how the story is told. There are only 12 known plots anyway, right?

In this story the female heroine, Caroline Mabry, is dealing both with a serial killer that seems to have made a connection to her, personally, and with her unresolved feelings for her ex-partner. As the body count increases and the police attempts to solve the crime continue to fail, her emotions become more and more frazzled, leading her back to her former partner and mentor.

What I think is most important here is that Jess Walter can write: he develops believable characters, his language is years ahead of most mystery writers and he tackles themes of interest and meaning.

What's more, he does not shy away from the graphic. There's plenty of sex, drugs and violence in this novel, all describe vividly and without cliche. He knows when to describe a scene in detail and when it's more horrific to just describe the characters reaction to it.

"Over Tumbled Graves" is set on Spokane, Washington, a city which is noted for the waterfalls along the river that runs through it. The opening of the book is set at these falls when a young police detective, Caroline Marby, must chose between saving the life of the drug dealer or shooting the buyer who threw him into the falls. This choice, the choice between death and the preservation of life, is one of many threads that run through this book and make it a rich treat for the tired fan of the serial killer genre.

Caroline, with her friend and mentor Alan Dupree, become involved in a hunt for a killer who leaves his prostitute victims strangled and shot, grasping their last payment in their hands. The chain of evidence points to Caroline's escaped drug buyer, Lenny Ryan, as the killer but he remains somehow intangible, appearing and disappearing almost at will, with an agenda which never seems quite clear. As Caroline and Alan investigate, their present relationship as not quite lovers hovers between them. He is married and Caroline has a live-in. The tension between the two reflects the rapids that run through the city, as separation that can never be truely bridged.

As the body count mounts, Dupree, who is heading the investigation, is forced to call in FBI profilers. His sarcastic intolerance of these men and unwillingness to use modern investigative techniques puts him at odds with his superiors, and he is eventually removed from the case. This widens the division between him and Caroline as she must pick up many of the threads Dupree left hanging. Dupree, trying to deal with his frustration and a failing marriage, returns to the streets that he started on.

The book is also the tale of the conflict between the two profilers. Curtis Blanton, a retired FBI profiler, sarcastic and sharp witted is an almost unwilling participant. For him the case has two low a body count to be worth the efforts of a profiler. Jeffrey McDaniel, on loan from the FBI is condescending and overblown. For him the case is an opportunity to show up Blanton. Neither man adds much to the investigation, although their rivalry quickly becomes the comic relief of the story.

Caroline, caught in between the profilers, as she is between Dupree and his replacement Spivey, must piece together the truth out of the tiniest of shreds and suspicions. The final answer is unexpected and complex. To say that Jess Walter is a master of misdirection would be a serious understatement.

The action flows beautifully, building slowly from the moment the first body is discovered. Hardly sparse, there is still little waste in the telling, although I wish that Walter had spent just a bit more effort on the setting. Other than the river itself, Spokane and its environs never quite come to life the way the characters do. The story is a melancholy one, turning on tragedy and loss and the tiny steps that lead one from self-interest to evil. Redeeming qualities are found in unexpected places and the reader is left with much to consider in the end. Highly recommended.

The character development in this book was so well done that I KNOW I've met these people before. Jess Walter has clearly done his homework on the intricacies and nuances of police work but more importantly, the depth of introspection in which the characters engage evidences Walter's full grasp of how people really think and feel. I loved the book, identified with the characters and laughed outloud at their insights and anecdotes. I also cringed when I identified with a character's internal dialogue about the similarity between prostitution and 'settling' in marriage. Buy this book, curl up on a couch somewhere and get ready for an exciting ride that has both physical and emotional scenery you can actually SMELL!

Although I suppose this book will be classified as a "murder mystery" or "suspense" novel, Mr. Walter is an author who deserves to be widely read, for many reasons, including the fact that he includes plenty of insights about human character and life in general, some of which I've actually written in my journal as a reminder of what a truly gifted writer can do, no matter what genre he chooses.

About the subject matter: Set in Spokane, Washington the book focuses primarily on two people who are tracking a serial killer. The two detectives are Caroline Mabry and her partner Alan Dupree. The killer is going after prostitutes and his signature "calling card" is a stack of $20 bills which he leaves in each victim's hand. He is also drawn to Caroline (for reasons that become clear later in the book).

But that is just the bare outline of this complex, satisfying thriller.
Here is what makes it a standout:

1. The particular strengths and weaknesses of the main characters. Caroline Mabry and Alan Dupree aren't just partners but are also strongly drawn to one another, fighting both sexual and romantic tension. Dupree, however, is married and, as you might expect, that adds a special layer of guilt, ambivalence and excitment. They've dreamt of being together for a long time but as the author so deftly notes "Daydreams never have bad breath or forget important dates." As the novel goes on, the author reveals compromises each has made for the other, ones that might not have been made if they'd felt differently about each other.

2. This author goes beyond writing a "good" book but strives to be among the select few who rise to the top - and I think he succeeds. After reading another book of his, Citizen Vince (see link below), I was so hooked on his writing that I went on to read this one, Over Tumbled Graves. Both have been rich and layered and suspenseful enough to keep me spellbound.

3. The perpetual exploration of what it means to live well in this world and how to deal with the inevitable failures that all humans make. When does one know whether it is time to leave a marriage? What truly makes one unfaithful, even before the first touch? How do you identify the traits of specific serial killers and know what to look for when tracking them down?

If you are looking for a book that goes beyond the usual formulas and contain the imprint of an individual author's style, I urge you to read this book. Then go on to read more by this very talented author!

Citizen Vince: A Novel


Land of the Blind: A Novel

In Jess Walter's debut novel, it looks like a serial killer is systematically killing prostitutes in Spokane, Washington. It looks even more likely that the killer is the man that Caroline Mabry confronted but had to let get away during a drug bust gone bad.

Caroline Mabry and Alan Dupree are the two main protagonists and are both detectives with the Spokane Police Department. They share a past that is slowly revealed to us as they become more involved with the case, and this begins to affect the way they carry out their investigations.

This is Walter's debut novel and is a psychological thriller that starts out very well with an action packed and dramatic opening, snappy dialogue carrying plenty of humorous exchanges. But then the story gradually gets bogged down in the middle as the main characters all become very introspective. I had the feeling that we were in suspended animation for a while, waiting for someone to yell "action". However the pace does pick up again as things fall into place and set the scene for a thrilling and somewhat surprising ending.

A highlight of the book for me comes from the description of the two profilers whose dislike for each other provides plenty of funny scenes. Their egos and obvious distraction from the case while compiling data for their respective next books add a touch of comic farce to the story.

I found this an entertaining book that toyed with the emotions, dark enough to provide a substantial, thought-provoking thriller, yet light enough to provide plenty of amusing moments.