There is no doubt about it. The ten year old black and
white Pulitzer prize winning photograph mounted in the
Moran
exhibit at Museum of Modern Art commands Stacey Kim's
attention and her imagination. Who is this raven-haired
woman? Why is she wearing a wedding dress? Why is she on
the shore of a beach? Why is there a long-barreled six
shooter hanging from her hand behind her back?
Moving back ten years in time, Jack Booth gets an early
morning call from his boss asking him to go and help out
on
a high prolife case in Palisades Heights. Jack is an
experienced prosecutor with the Oregon Department of
Justice
District Attorney Assistance Program and is used to
travelling to smaller communities to help where needed.
Still, it is rare indeed to get a direct call from Elaine
Rostow, the Oregon Attorney General, let alone at home and
even more unusual to be called in to help investigate a
murder while it is still fresh. While pondering this,
Jack
is very surprised when he finds out who the only witness
near the crime scene is. Just what is going on?
As a frustrated and aspiring writer, Stacey Kim has come,
like many others, to New York to write a great novel. Yet,
the only writing she does is the boring messages she
writes
as a receptionist at a major law firm where she works.
Yet,
she can't forget the photograph. It captives her
imagination and her writer's block is powerfully dislodged
by her flood of questions and ideas. She knows she just
has
to write its story. Will she be able to get to the facts
and the truth behind the enigmatic image?
WOMAN WITH A GUN, the nineteenth book by New York Times
best-selling author Phillip Margolin, is as captivating
and
intriguing as the photograph on its cover which inspired
the
story. With his strong background as a criminal defense
attorney and his skills as a storyteller, Margolin weaves
an
intriguing story about a young writer inspired by a
photograph that is also his own personal inspiration for
this murder mystery.
One of Margolin's many talents as a writer is his ability
to
build and orchestrate his plot development so that small
details and clues shimmer in the path, but can also easily
missed by some readers including me (along with some of
the
characters) who can easily get distracted by other events
transpiring in WOMAN WITH A GUN. This dropping of small
gems of clues as the story unfolds keeps the plot moving
and
the pages turning till you reach the surprising ending.
Personally, while I might have enjoyed more randomness in
events, the use of anniversaries of past murders did
serve
to keep the story on track as events move back and forth
across the fifteen year time frame (i.e. 2015, 2005, 2000,
2015).
All of the characters in WOMAN WITH A GUN are strongly
portrayed and realistic. While some may be of a certain
type, they are not stereotypical. They are a diverse and
intriguing cast and it is very interesting to see the
changes in their outlooks, interests and interactions with
others over time. WOMAN WITH A GUN is a little different
in
that there is not really a main character throughout the
book, but I quite enjoy the character of Jack Booth and
found him to be very likeable and appealing, particularly
in
terms of how he operates as a prosecutor and his
interactions with others, especially women.
If you are looking for a good whodoneit, full of murders,
deception, and past relationships, then Margolin's WOMAN
WITH A GUN is sure to hold your attention. Enjoy!
New York Times bestselling master of mystery Phillip
Margolin transcends his traditional territory in this new
and different book, a haunting thriller inspired by an
unforgettable photograph.
Visiting an art museum displaying a retrospective of
acclaimed photographer Kathy Moran's work, aspiring
novelist
Stacey Kim is stunned by the photo at the center of the
show—the famous "Woman with a Gun," which won a Pulitzer
Prize and launched the photographer's career.
Shot from behind, the enigmatic black-and-white image is a
picture of a woman in a wedding dress, standing on the
shore
at night, facing the sea. Behind her back, she holds a
six-shooter.
The image captures Stacey's imagination, raising a host of
compelling questions. Has the woman killed her husband on
their wedding night? Is she going to commit suicide? Is
she
waiting for someone she plans to kill?
Obsessed with finding answers, Stacey discovers that the
woman in the photograph is Megan Cahill, suspected of
killing her husband, millionaire Raymond Cahill, with the
six-shooter on their wedding night. But the murder was
never
solved.
Drawn deeper into the case, Stacey finds that everyone
involved has a different opinion of Megan's culpability.
But
the one person who may know the whole story—Kathy
Moran—isn't talking.
Stacey must find a way to get to the reclusive
photographer
or the truth may never see the light of day.
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