Friends and Enemies

by Susan Oleksiw

Book Overview

Mellingham's police chief Joe Silva, "the likable protagonist of this polished series" (The New York Times Book Review), has his hands full when the Mellingham High School Class of 1969 holds their... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786230096
• ISBN13: 9780786230099
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Five Star (ME)
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

An excellent small town police procedural.

This is a really fine book, a rarity in that it is a small town police procedural. The kind of story the Brits do well, but most American police procedurals are set in big cities like LA or NYC, and are much grittier. There is a twenty-five year reunion of the class of `69 in Mellingham, MA. The story starts off slowly as we meet both returning students and the ones who've remained in Mellingham. It was a bit hard to keep track of so many characters at the beginning but once the first event of the reunion started at around page 50, I was caught up in their lives and what intricate lives they had. Becka, an attractive woman was once married to Richard, one member of the class, is now married to Hugh, another member of the class, and is being hit on by Vic, her neighbor and a former lover. She's the mother of a son by Richard. The two husbands and the neighbor are all involved in the same paper manufacturing business. Another classmate, Elliot, has returned in search of the secret of what really happened that caused the disintegration of his family twenty-six years ago. There are many interesting supporting characters too - the proprietors of the inn and bar where events are held, and Polly, the class secretary who persistently organizes everything. Vic is sent home early in a taxi after creating a disturbance on the first evening of the reunion. In the morning, Becka finds him in a coma on his dining room floor and his wife no where to be found. And, of course, from the first event on, we have Police Chief Joe Silva questioning and analyzing the behavior and emotions of the classmates. He was at the first event because he is dating a member of the class. Silva is an admirable protagonist, intelligent and compassionate, and by doggedly gathering evidence and talking to everyone, he clears up all of the mysteries, Elliot's past, the missing wife and Vic's coma. A truly satisfying read that I recommend to all mystery lovers.