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Reviewed by Midwest Book Review
Fans of LGBTQ+ backgrounds and mysteries as well as prior readers of David E. Feldman's previous five Dora Ellison stories will find A Divisive Storm both a powerful series addition and a stand-alone attention-grabber for newcomers.
Dora Ellison and sidekick Missy Winters, of Geller Investigations, have a new case involving a seemingly random murder in a parking lot. As Dora and Missy investigate, they spark not only another killing, but evidence that these murders are linked to an unsolved crime that took place five years earlier.
The one link between the victims is actually a situation that involves Dora and Missy in a racist club's deadly operations, bringing up questions of moral and immoral behaviors, justice and vigilante efforts, and Dora and Missy's own efforts to identify and stop the murderers.
David E. Feldman does more than craft another whodunit. He introduces elements of social inspection, presenting the scenario and killer with an exceptional powerful prologue that draws the reader instantly into a killer's mind:
"And there he was. I knew where he’d be. I knew of several places he would be and times he would be at those places. I had all the information. All I had to do was wait for the right opportunity. An empty parking lot or a busy street. Either might do, if they were right. I’d know. I had lived for this."
Terror is a big reason for the killer's particular modus operandi. That, and justice. The satisfaction that comes from killing also enters the bigger picture to paint a personal vendetta with the red-hot colors of not just senseless crime, but a cold purpose that saturates the story with blood and contrasting belief systems from the start.
Feldman's ability to juxtapose the killer's ideals and motives with the equally determined force of those who hold a different interpretation of justice provides just the right balance of gritty moral inspection and intrigue to keep murder mystery readers on edge and guessing.
All the characters are strong, not just the investigators. This lends an aura of believability to the plot that not only engages the mind, but challenges the hearts of readers who expected a casual murder scenario, only to find themselves rethinking their own ideals of law and justice.
The human aspects of these engagements emerge from a variety of characters and scenarios, with dialogue reinforcing the stands and choices people take and make in order to survive:
“… you want her to fit in, to be normal. It’s what I would want. And yet—”
“And yet, what?” C3’s voice was low with growing fury.
“I’ve just gotta say, son. She,” he shrugged, “looks like a retarded kid.” He held out a palm. “There’s things you can do about that. Why wouldn’t you cover all your bases?”
C3’s answer came out as a snarl. “Because your granddaughter isn’t a base. And she’s not a retarded kid.”
If one thing can be said about A Divisive Storm, it's "expect the unexpected." There is nothing singular about its plot, nothing predictable about the outcomes, and little set in stone along the way.
Feldman's ability to craft a hard-boiled noir atmosphere in Dora's world, supercharged with further elements of personal and social inspection, creates a story highly recommended not just for libraries and readers seeking compelling mysteries, but book clubs looking for genre reads that provoke discussions and debates about larger moral and social issues.
—Diane Donovan, Editor: California Bookwatch; Donovan's Literary Recommended Reading
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