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Ellie Stowell, the main character in Perry’s novel, is a young, very bright, pretty girl who has a way of making her living in a most unorthodox manner. She breaks into the homes of the rich and helps herself to money or salable items. She is really a very considerate woman. If someone leaves the water on she will turn it off, or if something else needs an adjustment to prevent damage to the house she will do something to rectify the situation. She has evolved a collection of the proper equipment to do her job, has a usable knowledge of art and other possibly salable items and has made her work into a profession.

The story begins with Ellie breaking into a house and coming across three dead bodies, killed by single shots to the head and laid out on a bed. She discovers a motion picture camera still running which the assassin did not discover. Ellie takes the camera with her and finds that she can alter the film to not show her entering the room. Her problems begin at this point when she finds out that the killer or killers have somehow discovered her presence and begin hunting her in order to eliminate the one witness that can probably point them out to the police.

It is obvious that Perry has done quite a bit of research on methods used by professional thieves and incorporates these into the novel. “The Burglar” is a fun read and Ellie comes across as a cute young lady that enjoys herself, making a living out of the activities described. Looking at the action and the logical ending it did occur to me that sequels to the book incorporating Ellie Stowell would be an easy thing to envision. I would certainly recommend looking for them in addition to reading the present book.

1/19 Paul Lane

THE BURGLAR by Thomas Perry. Mysterious Press (January 8, 2019)).  ISBN 978-0802129000. 304p.

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The authors’ first book together, “The Wife Between Us,” was a psychological thriller detailing one man married to a woman with the man having an affair with another girl. The book was an engrossing story with turns and twists that kept the reader changing opinions about results and at the same time simply glued to the novel.

The current book definitely follows suit with a plot that keeps the reader guessing and glued. The interactions are between a psychiatrist and a young woman.

Jessica Farris is recently arrived in New York City and like many is having trouble making a living. We meet her as she goes from customer to customer applying makeup to prepare that woman for an evening out; a show, a wedding or other event. During a visit to a customer she learns that a psychiatrist has invited the woman to take part in a study on ethics and morality with generous compensation offered. When Jessica hears her customer declining to take part in the study she decides that she will take her place in order to earn the money.

The psychiatrist , Dr. Shields, sets up a sequence and Jessica finds the questions posed are very personal. She decides to answer them truthfully since the tester has promised answers to be completely confidential. She is invited back for followups with the result that Dr. Shields, who is a very sophisticated and highly educated woman, invites Jessica to continue the testing via personal visits as directed. We follow Jessica’s thoughts as she enters into the requirements posed by the doctor and begins earning more money for this work.
Where is all this going, especially when one of the other participants in the study was found murdered. What is the upshot of the story and where does Jessica as well as Dr. Shields fit into it.

Another winner for the authors and another reason to continue seeking their books as they come out.

1/19 Paul Lane

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen. St. Martin’s Press (January 8, 2019).  ISBN 978-1250133731. 384p.

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Paul McGrath came from a well to do family with his father wanting him to enter the family business. Paul rebelled against the idea desiring to make things happen on his own. He consequently joined the army where he made it to the top of his military intelligence team.

After many years he felt that he had to return home to make things right with his father with whom he had become estranged. He returned and found that his father had passed away, but not until there was a fight with the partner his father had taken into his business since Paul did not want in. The fight had resulted in a court battle in which Paul’s father had seemingly come out ahead until a critical piece of evidence went missing.

The case was postponed indefinitely pending finding the missing evidence and that is the prelude to our interesting story. The police suggest to Paul that he take a job in the courthouse and look for the evidence. They insist that it could not have been stolen due to the very tight procedures in place protecting property used in litigation and must be someplace in the court facilities.

Paul does get a job at the court house and immediately gets pulled into becoming Robin Hood through helping other people with their own problems with court findings. In all probability Mr Grant has created an individual that can be used in other novels and has requisite skills to take on a myriad of work.

The novel is well done, describing Paul and the other people that take part in the story allowing the reader to get to know them and their place in the tale. If Grant is setting up Paul McGrath as a future principal character, the novels featuring him will be welcome and awaited.

1/19 Paul Lane

INVISIBLE by Andrew Grant. Ballantine Books (January 8, 2019). ISBN 978-0525619598. 320p.

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A short book, a novella written by the South African author Deon Meyer and featuring detectives Benny Griessel with his partner Vaughn Cupido.

The two are described replete with their usual back and forth kidding and the setting in Capetown. The plot involves the murder of a woman, originally an American, currently living in London and visiting South Africa for the first time. She has been found dead, her body naked and draped across a rock.

Benny and Vaughn are assigned the case and involve the up to date scientific methods utilized by modern police departments to work it. A pleasant side bar to the detective work is Benny’s financial problems in buying an engagement ring for his live in girl friend. We get to the end of the novel with a solution which utilizes Mr Meyer’s knowledge of the art world.

The story is entertaining, easy enough to read in a few pleasant hours, but far from Deon Meyer’s normal novels featuring Benny and Vaughn. The author has already introduced his audience to his main characters so that there is no surprise in their investigations. But there is nothing in the telling of the story that makes it anything but a pleasant way to spend a few spare hours. Those readers familiar with the detectives should certainly continue to seek out future books involving them, and the entertaining style invite back new readers not enthralled with them.