Critic Oline Cogdill recently reviewed Con Lehane’s The Red Scare Murders. Cogdill’s review originally appeared in the South Florida Sun Sentinel. You can order a copy of The Red Scare Murders through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/yc7325m2 Thank you, Oline, for sharing the review.
Book review: Private detective mystery meets relevant history lesson in ‘The Red Scare Murders’
‘The Red Scare Murders’ by Con Lehane; Soho Crime; 400 pages; $29.95
Award-winning author Con Lehane melds a solid private detective novel with a satisfying historical look at the communist witch hunt during the McCarthy era of the early 1950s in “The Red Scare Murders.”
In this launch of a new series, Lehane tackles conspiracy theories, racism, power-mad politicians and how families and careers were ruined through blacklisting, while also depicting the intricacies of New York City during this time.
“The Red Scare Murders” introduces Mick Mulligan, a World War II veteran who has reinvented himself as a private detective in New York City. Not long ago, Mick had a successful career as an animator working for a Hollywood studio, with a good salary and a loving family. But he lost his job, family and security when he was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee for refusing to name colleagues in the entertainment business who might be communists.
Now scraping by with small, simple jobs, Mick is offered a more lucrative but complicated case by labor leader Duke Rogowski, “a lunch-box sort of guy.” Mick worries he lacks the skills to tackle the high stakes involved. He has 15 days to prove the innocence of Harold Williams, a Black cab driver — and member of the Communist party — who is scheduled to be executed for the murder of his wealthy white boss, the owner of the taxi company. Mick is overwhelmed that a man’s life depends on him. Given the times’ racial attitudes and view of communists, Harold still could be executed even if Mick proves him innocent.
And there is a chance Harold is guilty. Mick finds Harold has many friends who believe him innocent but are afraid to speak up, and just as many people who are fixated on Harold’s race and membership in the Communist party.
The timeworn plot device of trying to prove a convicted person innocent gets an energetic approach by grounding the story in politics and history. Lehane adds racial prejudice, politics, the labor movement and the fear of a cab driver strike. Lehane taps into the paranoia of the 1950s with aplomb, with meticulous research into the McCarthy era. He infuses “The Red Scare Murders” with real people, but these occasional references don’t distract from the plot — they put the story in context.
New York City becomes a character in its own right, as Lehane takes the reader by the hand through neighborhood walks. Lehane shows buildings that are now part of the landscape being built, empty lots ready for plans.
Mick is a sturdy character, well-suited for this launch of a new series. Mick is coming to terms with what he has lost and how his moral code won’t allow him to turn in communists to save his career. He knows the authorities don’t care if the people are members of the Communist party, or not, just as long as they have names. It’s a pleasure watching Mick hone his investigative skills and grow confidence. He considers a private detective to be “the finder of lost souls.”
This marks the start of Lehane’s third series, following his previous collections featuring New York City bartender Brian McNulty and the 42nd Street Library.
“The Red Scare Murders” soars as a solid historical novel with relevance to today’s current events.