Judith’s review of Unfinished Business by W. Soliman
Charlie Hunter retired from the force at 40 to relax, work on his boat and go fishing with his son on weekends, not become an amateur sleuth. But he can’t say no to Kara Webb when she seeks his help in tracking down her sister, missing for 15 years.
The disappearance of teenaged Jasmine Webb was one of the first cases Charlie worked on after being made a detective. He’s never forgotten it or his suspicions, even after the girl’s parents told police they’d heard from her and the file on Jasmine was closed.
When Charlie’s son is threatened, finding Jasmine becomes even more important—it’s no longer just about closure, it’s about protecting his family. Which makes the constant dead ends all the more frustrating. Until Charlie realizes that the question they should be asking isn’t where Jasmine is, but who Jasmine has become…
This story seems to have about it the sense of the old mystery novels that were so popular in the 40’s and 50’s. Charlie was just that sort of detective–retired, wanting to just “do his thing” and enjoy his son when he could, keep himself free of disturbing entanglements, and turn a blind eye to the horrors of the world that had been a part of his life for several decades. And like so many situations in life, what started out to be another person’s problem, slowly but surely bloomed into a problem that was a clear danger to the people Charlie loved the most. The old case–15 years old, in fact–has once again surfaced in the person of Kara, sister to the woman who had disappeared. And perhaps the hook that grabbed Charlie was the fact that his own inner sense about the case–that there was just too many unanswered questions, too many unresolved issues, too much of a feeling that someone involved was still covering up a lot of important stuff. Just like the Mike Hammer of old, Charlie just couldn’t back away from having another “go.”
Writing mysteries takes careful planning, careful thought, and a heap of intelligence for crafting wiley puzzles that others find difficult to unravel. It was appear that Ms Soliman brings all those qualities to this writing task and they all show in the way this story is put together. The characters are clearly delineated–Charlie as he is wrapped in the disillusionment which has grown out of his combat with the law enforcement system; Kara with her abiding sense that her sister is still alive; the rather slimy characters that needed to be re-interviewed, those who were involved in Jasmine’s life and who seem, even now, to be hiding something critical to the solution. Kara’s mother is a piece of work that is hard to figure out. Is she disinterested? Is she really covering up for an unknown reason? Charlie feels something but he doesn’t know what. The secondary characters support the action of the story so beautifully. Not a one is incidental to the tale.
In the midst of the mystery runs Kara and Charlie’s story–two people who have found a way to live solitary lives, who seem to be just a bit fearful of getting involved, especially Charlie, because being hurt once again just doesn’t enter into their future plans. Their love story is a quiet but insistent ingredient in the novel and is a part of the story that gets subsumed under the mystery from time to time, but nevertheless it is always still there when the smoke and mirrors are removed.
The greatest mystery within the mystery? Jasmine, the missing woman. Is she alive, and if so, what is she like? Is she fearful for her life? Is she happy where she is? Does she ever really want to see her sister and family again? Is she who she appears to be? This mystery within a mystery is beautifully written and will be a joy for true romance mystery fans to read. This is the second work by Ms Soliman I have read and reviewed and find that I am as impressed with her work now as I was the first time around. This is a really good read and one that is worthy of time and effort. It isn’t simplistic–it will make the mind work. To my way of thinking, that’s what a really good book is supposed to do.
I give it a rating of 4 out of 5
You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place.
This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
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