She Treads Softly: The Evil Men Do

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

The Evil Men Do

The Evil Men Do by John McMahon
Penguin Random House: 3/3/20
eBook review copy; 368 pages
ISBN-13: 9780525535560
P.T. Marsh series #2

The Evil Men Do by John McMahon is a very highly recommended procedural.

Homicide detective P.T. Marsh and his partner Remy Morgan are investigating a suspicious death in Mason Falls, Georgia. Ennis Fultz is a ruthless real estate magnate who has made more than one enemy in his career. It appears that Fultz's oxygen tank may have been tampered with, but the suspects are many, including business associates, rivals, neighbors, and an ex-wife. As Marsh and Morgan investigate the death, it begins to become clear to Marsh that Fultz's death appears to be a part of a much larger set of crimes.

At the same time he is investigating Fultz's death, Marsh is looking at clues that may point to something much more personal, especially after an accident that almost kills his father-in-law. His father-in-law's accident may be related to another accident, one that killed his wife and son. Marsh begins to expand his investigation beyond departmental approval.

The Evil Men Do is a great, skillfully written procedural. McMahon does an excellent job developing the plot in this gripping and atmospheric procedural. While following Marsh as he uncovers clues and follows lead, his character is also revealed. And Marsh is a well-developed character, an emotionally wounded man who is dealing with many personal demons that intrude into his thoughts and the investigation. The expanding investigation and Marsh's insight into what he discovers is riveting to read and I was totally engrossed in the whole narrative.

While this is the second book in the P.T. Marsh series I had no problem following along the continuing story from the first novel, The Good Detective. There was enough information provided in the plot to follow Marsh's thought process during the investigation and the ties to the current case. I haven't read the first book, but plan to because I enjoyed The Evil Men Do so much.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.