Parasol in a Hurricane

Greer, James. A Parasol in a Hurricane. Wild Child Publishing, 2009.



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"A Parasol in a Hurricane."



Take two universal ingredients—abusive relationships and a struggle for personal growth—mix them in the cauldron of a small-town police environment, add a dash of corrosive personalities and bureaucracy and you’ve cooked up a tasty crime drama. James Greer brings his expertise in law enforcement to the recipe called A Parasol in a Hurricane, a new e-book release from Wild Child Publishing. (Disclaimer: I have two collections published by Wild Child.)

The reader can tell Greer has done his share of professional homework, quoting Stephen King on marital restraining orders that are no better than the eponymous parasol. He also mentions recommended reading for on-the-make detectives and provides a précis of squad car communications and codes. Both protagonist Detective Karen O’Neill and the object of her inquiry, runaway Marsha Beston, are independent, on-their-toes women conflicted with less-than-understanding men and a struggle for self-realization.

Greer handles a tough job well of getting into the mind of a woman saddled with a loutish husband who has dragged her from San Diego to rural Wisconsin. Through the author’s dialogue, his protagonist also does a solid job of standing up to the department’s internal affairs officer while defending her suspect.

 And, yes, for a generally non-violent story, there are satisfactory killings to leaven the entrée. Parasol is a quick read filled with tension. Who knew life in rural Wisconsin could be so tasty?

A Parasol in a Hurricane, by James Greer, Wild Child Publishing

(www.wildchildpublishing.com), 2009, PDF file, 29 pages.

Reviewed by Walt Giersbach ’61 (http://allotropiclucubrations.blogspot.com)