Book Review: A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert

Cameron “Cam” Clewe and Jane Hunter make an odd couple. Imagine if Mark Zuckerberg, albeit with a few less billions, and a modern-day Miss Marple, joined forces to investigate crimes. 

Cam hired Jane, “sight unseen, to inventory and catalog his extensive collection of books and related artifacts.” His personal secretary, Lauren Walker, ushers retired librarian Jane into Cam’s library so he can meet her in person. Jane is surprised by Cam’s youth, closer to thirty than forty and definitely “leading man material.” 

Then he opened his mouth.

“I didn’t realize you were so old,” he said, in a voice totally devoid of humor. “And rather heavier than I expected, given that photo on the university website.”

Well! Jane carefully considers her reply, because she needs the job—both to augment a “rather modest pension,” but also so she can do work she loves. Her retirement was forced (ageism) and although Cam implies she’s “over the hill,” Jane knows she has the expertise and energy to be a success. She cleverly switches the conversation to the books Cam wants her to catalog, a “collection of books and papers connected to classic mystery and detective authors.” He takes the bait.

“Mysteries are a particular fascination of mine. I love their logic, and all the clever puzzles. I can usually deduce the culprits before the end, but I still enjoy the mental exercise.”

Cam doesn’t have much of a filter, but Jane respects his enthusiasm and expertise. 

While Jane focuses on her job, the other denizens of the estate get ready for a charity gala Sunday night. Reclusive Cam generously allows his friends to use his lovely mansion for a good cause. 

On her way to the library Monday morning, Jane sees “no evidence of the prior evening’s festivities.” She’s surprised that there are no lights on—she senses that “there’s something off in here.” And then she sees the body of a young woman, “crumpled on the floor” of the library.

Fighting an urge to retch, I laid two fingertips on Ashley’s neck and clasped her wrist with my other hand. No pulse thumped against my shaking fingers.

 

My lips formed a scream, but the sound snagged in my throat.

 

Not that it mattered. Calling for help was futile. Ashley Allen was, unquestionably, irrevocably, dead.

Jane is an excellent observer. Lauren, Cam, and Jane try to ascertain what blunt instrument might have been the murder weapon: Lauren suggests a broken statue. 

“I don’t think so.” Cam’s sea-green eyes narrowed. “A silver-plated candlestick is missing.”

 

That was the object that left the circle of clean wood.

 

“From the bookshelf behind the pedestal?”

 

Cam’s gaze snapped to me. “You noticed that as well?”

 

“Yes. No dust.”

 

“Exactly.” Cam looked me up and down—a searching gaze, as if he was truly seeing me for the first time. “Good catch.”

 

“I didn’t know what was there before, of course, but a candlestick”—I cleared my throat—“well, if it was heavy enough …”

 

“Could do some damage,” Cam said, completing my thought.

Cam uses his wealth and staff to shield him from everyday concerns.  Jane is the opposite; she takes a keen interest in the people around her. Given her ease at making friends in new surroundings, Jane leans into ferreting out what she can about the murder victim. Jane is like Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, an older woman who “is known for her keen powers of observation and deduction, which she uses to solve crimes.”

Back to the crime scene. Cam points out to Lauren, who is on the line with the police, “You do realize who will be their number one suspect, of course.” Lauren is confused—there were over hundred people at the party where Ashley was murdered. “But only one person was Ashley Allen’s ex-boyfriend,” Jane points out helpfully.

An investigator separates the wheat from the chaff, exposing lies that camouflage the truth. For example—Cam claims to have set the security alarm after the gala ended but Dia, the housekeeper, tells Jane the alarm system was off: “It must’ve been. I get up pretty darn early and it was still deactivated when I checked it Monday morning.” Jane’s mind reels with possibilities—Dia could be lying, someone else who knew the codes “turned the system off after Cam reactivated it,”—and further muddying the waters, the house was full of guests attending the gala.

But I also couldn’t dismiss the possibility that she, or others, might have their own reasons to conceal the truth.

 

You don’t really know Cam, or the houseguests, or the staff, I reminded myself. Any one of them could be lying.

Jane learns many people had reason to despise Ashley Allen. Ashley used her wealth to toy with people’s dreams. She would offer to underwrite their desire to open their own art studio or launch a restaurant before abruptly and cruelly pulling the plug. Ashley’s sister Rena tells Lauren and Jane that “it was that scumbag, Tristan Blair,” who murdered Ashley. Tristan, an aspiring and improvident musician, is a former boyfriend who Rena says was only with Ashley for her money. There’s no dearth of suspects.

Jane is at odds with Cam—they both think the other is playing “armchair detective”—and they have it out.

I dropped my hands to my side. “I wouldn’t allow a thief to walk free. Especially if there was any possibility he was also a murderer.”

 

“Maybe not, but I think you enjoy amateur sleuthing as much as I do.”

The argument escalates. Jane accuses Cam of withholding information from her so he can be the one who solves the murder. He tells her she’s wrong—that he’s protecting someone “who may or may not be connected to this case who’s been dealt a bad enough hand in life already.” Jane is not buying that explanation—she takes him at his word that he thinks he’s doing the right thing but when it comes to solving murders, two people are better than one.

“It just seems like you want me to do your legwork, but then aren’t inclined to share all your subsequent deductions with me. That is a little off-putting, to say the least.”

Can this potential marriage of talented sleuths be saved? Since A Cryptic Clue is the first book in the Hunter and Clewe Mystery series, readers can safely assume that Jane and Cam will solve more crimes in the future—I’m looking forward to it.