Critic Oline Cogdill recently reviewed the latest books by Karen Odden (An Artful Dodge) and Joshua Moehling (Beneath a Broken Sky). Both reviews appeared previously at the South Florida Sun Sentinel. You can order copies of the books through The Poisoned Pen’s Webstore, https://store.poisonedpen.com/.
Book review: Real-life, all-female crime gang inspires ‘An Artful Dodge’
Meanwhile, personal scars and public tragedies collide in ‘Beneath a Broken Sky.’
‘An Artful Dodge’ by Karen Odden; Soho Crime; 368 pages; $29.95
The best historical fiction is born out of facts and real-life events, just as Karen Odden demonstrates with her cleverly plotted, atmospheric “An Artful Dodge.”
From the 1870s until the 1950s, an all-female crime syndicate of shoplifters, burglars and blackmailers known as The Forty Elephants was prominent in London’s underworld. The women worked primarily in the Elephant and Castle area of South London.
Using that historical note, Odden delivers a gripping novel that touches on misogyny, classism, questions of identity, finding your place in the world when custom and circumstances limit your choices and future and, of course, crime.
Set in 1879, “The Artful Dodge” is steeped in the culture and sensibilities of Victorian London as the story follows 20-year-old British jewel thief Kit Jimeson, who, despite her success, wants to live an honest life and leave the all-women gang. That’s a time-worn trope of most caper plots, as is the desire for one final big score before escaping the crime life.
Odden takes that plot device, making it a fresh idea by ratcheting up Kit’s reason for her plan. Kit, whose mother also was a thief, wants to make sure her 14-year-old sister Sarah’s future is set as a servant in a respectable house. In 1879, this is job security for a poor, uneducated girl.
While Kit’s experience with her fellow criminals shows honor among thieves, leaving the gang isn’t easy. Kit is a high earner, able to slip a necklace or ring off a woman without being detected. Then the daughter of the crime group’s leader returns after 20 years in an Australian penal colony ready to resume control of the gang. And she will do anything, including violence and kidnapping, to be back in charge.
Odden vividly takes readers by the hand, guiding them through the streets of Victorian London, from the areas ruled by poverty to the upscale ones. At the novel’s start, Odden includes a list of the large cast of characters, and throughout “An Artful Dodge” she makes each come alive with carefully sculpted backgrounds.
In the midst of destruction
‘Beneath a Broken Sky’ by Joshua Moehling; Poisoned Pen Press; 336 pages; $27.99
Joshua Moehling’s expertly crafted police procedurals examine the impact a natural disaster and the tragedy of one family have on the entire community of Sandy Lake, Minnesota, as seen through the eyes of Deputy Ben Packard, who happens to be gay.
A tornado has decimated the area, wreaking havoc on the landscape and many homes, including Ben’s. As residents try to clean up, they also contend with the outbreak of wildfires. To further enforce the impact of the natural disasters, each chapter includes a note about the air quality that’s increasingly worsening.
In the midst of this destruction, Ben investigates the murder of Ashley Turner, a local mother. Ashley had been publicly fighting with the school board over its handling of the extreme bullying of her gay teenage son and the vandalism of his car. As a gay man, Ben has had his share of bullying, including as an adult, and understands what the teenager is going through. Despite the circumstances, Ben isn’t sure the bullying or the feud with the school board contributed to Ashley’s death.
Despite his strong skills as a detective, Ben is trying to prove himself to the newly elected sheriff, against whom he recently ran in a hotly contested election.
As he investigates the murder and deals with a wrecked home, Ben is surprised when Symphony, the estranged sister of his late boyfriend Marcus, breaks her parole to visit. The once-close siblings were alienated because of Symphony’s actions that landed her in prison. Symphony cannot accept that her brother is gay and has great difficulty believing that Ben and Marcus are in love.
“Beneath a Broken Sky” moves at a brisk pace, as Moehling melds a deeply personal story about Ben with a solid police procedural.