Island of Tears

Rating:
Summary: A decent historical novel
Review: Author Troy Soos paints a lively picture of America in the early 20th century. Corruption in Tamany Hall, the struggle of immigrants desperate to survive in the jungle of New York, the conflict between new technology (the motion picture camera) and its potential uses for good, are all part of the landscape. As compelling as all of this is, I don't think the story ever really draws us into its spell. I felt as though I were an outsider listening to someone describe the scenes, rather than a participant engrossed with the mystery of the story.

The central mystery of the story involves the disappearance of a newly-arrived immigrant from the Netherlands, who piques the interest of dime story novelist Marshall Webb. He hopes to use her tale - preferably a happy rags-to-riches story - as the basis for his next story. Instead, Christina vanishes and Marshall is drawn into a tangle of coincidences, corruption, and evil. The novel is populated with a wealth of characters: the socialite-turned-social-worker, the girls in the clubs, the crooks preying on innocent immigrants, the inventor, and so on. None of them, unfortunately, takes on any sort of vivid life. They are well-described, but curiously flat on the page. And at the end of the story, the loose ends are tied up neatly - but in a way that again feels flat and emotionless.

This is a decent period piece that will give the reader some good descriptions of New York City at the turn of the century, but within hours of finishing the book, its characters will be indistinguishable from each other, and will quickly fade from memory.

Rating:
Summary: A decent historical novel
Review: In 1892, the first ship debarks at Ellis Island loaded with hopeful immigrants looking forward to a new start on the first day of the new year. A contributor to Harper's Weekly, dime novelist Marshall Webb is at the scene of the docking to observe the goings-on so he can write a series of articles and eventually a book. On the island, Marshal meets Dutch arrival Christina Van der Waak, whose trust and optimism in the American system he believes will make quite a good story, but she instantly vanishes.

Marshall concludes that there is more to Christina than just the tale of an upbeat emigrant and he begins to make inquiries into what happened to her. His investigation takes Marshall all over Manhattan and leads to reformist Rebecca Davies and Colden House, a shelter for abused women. Rebecca joins Marshall on his quest as the search for the apparently abducted young woman turns frantic and quite dangerous.

ISLAND OF TEARS is a detailed historical mystery with romance to spice up the relationship between the lead duo. The story line is filled with action that occasionally slows down when author Troy Soos pays homage to the Gay Nineties with incredible descriptive depths rarely seen in a novel. This e thrilling mystery enlightens and entertains the audience. Hopefully further collaborations between Rebecca and Christina will occur as fans of historical tales will believe Mr. Soos hit a home run off of that HANGING CURVE.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reading experience
Review: In 1892, the first ship debarks at Ellis Island loaded with hopeful immigrants looking forward to a new start on the first day of the new year. A contributor to Harper's Weekly, dime novelist Marshall Webb is at the scene of the docking to observe the goings-on so he can write a series of articles and eventually a book. On the island, Marshal meets Dutch arrival Christina Van der Waak, whose trust and optimism in the American system he believes will make quite a good story, but she instantly vanishes.

Marshall concludes that there is more to Christina than just the tale of an upbeat emigrant and he begins to make inquiries into what happened to her. His investigation takes Marshall all over Manhattan and leads to reformist Rebecca Davies and Colden House, a shelter for abused women. Rebecca joins Marshall on his quest as the search for the apparently abducted young woman turns frantic and quite dangerous.

ISLAND OF TEARS is a detailed historical mystery with romance to spice up the relationship between the lead duo. The story line is filled with action that occasionally slows down when author Troy Soos pays homage to the Gay Nineties with incredible descriptive depths rarely seen in a novel. This e thrilling mystery enlightens and entertains the audience. Hopefully further collaborations between Rebecca and Christina will occur as fans of historical tales will believe Mr. Soos hit a home run off of that HANGING CURVE.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: A passable series debut
Review: ISLAND OF TEARS, by Mickey Rawlings's creator Troy Soos, introduces a promising newcomer to the detective genre; Marshall Webb. If you're looking for a period mystery as substantial as THE ALIENIST, THE ANGEL OF DARKNESS, any of Anne Perry's novels, or even Stephen Saylor's A TWIST AT THE END and the Roma Sub Rosa series, then you're bound to be disappointed. Soos's book is charitably weighed in at 280 pages (at least 40 of which are blanks between chapters) and he obviously doesn't luxuriate in the period as Carr or Saylor do (which is unusual for a historian-turned-novelist such as the two abovementioned). This is a meat-and-potatoes mystery and is typical for the genre in length, denouement, characterization, and execution.

Marshall Webb is likable enough as a hero but he almost completely lacks the sense of humor that makes Mickey Rawlings such a favorite of Soos's earlier fans. Webb depresses me, frankly. One of the biggest reasons why it's so hard to connect with Webb is because ISLAND OF TEARS isn't told with the usual first person narrative that is so typical of the mystery genre. The reader is told about Webb's impressions instead of being able to read his mind as we've rightly come to expect. Mickey Rawlings, who *does* benefit from first person narrative, is better able to entertain us with his baseball play, his knowledge of the game, and with his unconventional humor. There is nothing entertaining nor uplifting about a humorless hack with writer's block, especially if he's a dime novelist.

The denouement and unmasking of the killer was telegraphed much earlier than it should've been and overall the motive, opportunity, and means of the murder seemed flat and uninspired. The supporting cast of Crombie, Gehringer, Rebecca Davies, et al seems to be a promising ensemble and I look forward to seeing these characters develop along with Webb. I only hope they have more humor the next time around and are involved with a longer, more substantial murder mystery.