Track of the Cat, (Conclusion)

Anna’s list of suspects has narrowed considerably, and maybe Mr. or Mrs. Seasoned Mystery Reader has guessed by now who the “bad guy” is, but it is disguised very well.  Having found Craig dead in what appears to be yet another “accidental death” our number one suspect is now gone.  “Craig’s name was still on the top of it [the suspect list].  Neatly, Anna drew a single line through the letters.”  And, of course, we don’t find out until the final scene who the bad guy is.  Might I be inclined to give it away here? Nah!! 

Anna gets to meet the ever-so-charming-and-easy-to-hate Erik Walters, Christina’s ex.  She learns enough through their conversation to be able to check on his whereabouts only to discover another air-tight alibi.  Focusing now on Karl – who, for a while seems like a sure bet – she discovers what he’s been up to; and finds it to be innocent enough in a rather charming passage which takes place in his little hidden valley.  She follows him to it partly up a stone box canyon wall with handholds he has made himself.  “Twenty feet up she remembered reading that the Anasazi had often planned their stone ‘ladders’ so an enemy, starting out on the wrong foot, would find himself halfway up without a grip, unable to ascend or descend.” 

Her visit to Jerry Paulsen, uneventful as it is, gives her just the clue she needs to fill in the picture for her; but like many a crafty mystery writer before her, Barr chooses to withhold it from her readers until the ending scene.  She does manage to make the Paulsen character very compelling in a rather short scene; we feel we know all we need to know about him from his quirky behavior toward Anna. 

After another phone visit with her psychiatrist sister – always a treat – we come to the beginning of the final scene.  This sequence has an almost mystical quality about it as Anna stakes out what she hopes is the next crime scene, assuming that her hunches are all correct.  There is a meditative quality, a “becoming one with nature” aspect that helps wrap up a story which partly strives to help us see the stark beauty of that part of the world.  It certainly works for this reader.  “Once above the escarpment the moon dwindled rapidly in size but its light flowed unabated through the dry clean air, caught the iridescent shells in the ancient reef-become-mountains and the salt crystals of the long dead sea.”  This almost poetic writing has been in evidence throughout the book, and has added immensely to the pleasure of reading it. 

The ending explains all, without the usual posturing of an oh-so-clever detective running down the list of conclusions she had reached, or a lot of verbalized explanation of how the mystery was solved.  Anna simply tells the “bad guy” what she knows he was up to and he, thinking he has the upper hand, simply admits it is true.  The tables are turned on the bad guy, not by sheer luck, but by real bravado and smart moves on Anna’s part – another refreshing change from the usual formulaic ending of many mysteries.  And the ending is wickedly prosaic, with Anna leaving the bad guy helpless where he is, and implying that maybe she would come back to rescue him – but maybe not…  Over all, a very satisfying read, and one sure to bring the reader back for more!




April is Dean Koontz month! It's also the one-year mark of this book club which began last April with Koontz's 77 Shadow Street. This April we'll be reading his Odd Thomas, in anticipation of the release of the movie Odd Thomas on April 5th. Please join us in reading this immensely popular work of supernatural suspense!  The first segment will be Chapters 1-13.  Enjoy!