It's A Mystery

by Ed Barrett

A Murder Mystery Set In Portland

Some of my favorite mysteries are my favorites because of their location. I grew up in Cleveland in the same neighborhood as Milan Jacovich, Les Roberts’ main character, and take great pleasure in recognizing places I know and finding locations that Roberts has changed. The same goes for J.A. Jance’s Joanna Brady series, set in Cochise County Arizona, near where I went to school. (If you’re interested in mysteries in a particular location, check out stopyourekillingme.com which offers a location index by the character’s home base.)

Maine has its own authors and characters. Sarah Graves’ Jacobia Triptree lives in what seems to be Maine’s murder capital – Eastport. And Gerry Boyle’s series featuring reporter Jack McMorrow is set in Central Maine, reflecting his roots as a reporter for a Waterville newspaper. (By the way, part of one of his novels is set in Bangor where he, unfortunately, gets our geography wrong.)

Recently, I stumbled across Playing God: A Joe Burgess Mystery by Kate Flora. Not only is this mystery set in Portland (Maine, not Oregon), but the author is a former Maine Assistant Attorney General, although now, unfortunately, she’s become a flatlander in Massachusetts. With her knowledge of Maine’s criminal justice system and of the City of Portland, this is a must read for Maine’s mystery fans.

On a cold and snowy winter’s night, Dr. Steven Pleasant, who the story reveals is anything but, is found dead in his car in a “compromising” position. The main investigator, Joe Burgess, is a veteran Portland cop – and an introspective one at that. While Joe has seen it all, and often struggles against the depression this brings, he soldiers on. As he investigates, he contacts a range of characters – from the victim’s self-protecting physician partners to a prostitute Burgess has known and tried to help for years. Other suspects include the doctor’s wife and ex-wife and patients who the doctor has failed over the years. Joe’s own ties to the victim complicate and further stir the pot.

This gripping story will keep you awake and turning pages at night, and it will introduce you to a real and complex character whose struggles and demons will further stoke your interest.

Flora is also the author of a series featuring Thea Kozak, a strong-willed and independent educational consultant in Boston. This series has ties to Maine through Thea’s romantic interest – Maine State Police Detective Andre Lemieux. In spite of her best efforts, Thea repeatedly finds herself involved in murders, taking on her family-assigned role of the fixer. An enjoyable series, although not as “noir” as Playing God.

Per the author’s web-site, Flora is currently working on her second Joe Burgess novel. The following are available in the Thea Kozak series:

Chosen for Death (1994)
Death in a Funhouse Mirror (1995)
Death at the Wheel (1996)
An Educated Death (1997)
Death in Paradise (1998)
Liberty or Death (2003)
Stalking Death (2006)