THE FIRST MURDER

In Kaufman’s mystery, a former New York City cop moves to a small village, where he’s soon embroiled in a friend’s murder case.

Queensbridge, Massachusetts, is a peaceful town—“a tiny Berkshire village” that its new chief of police, Caleb Crane, and his wife, Rachel, hope will be a quiet change of pace. They’re integrating themselves into the new community, setting down roots, and trying unsuccessfully to have a child. When Rachel’s best friend, Mary Jane Bennett, announces her own pregnancy, Rachel can’t help but feel jealous—but does her envy run deep enough to murder her best friend? That’s the question her husband must consider after Mary Jane is found dead at home, strangled by her own scarf in what’s quickly ruled an accident—an experiment with autoerotic asphyxiation gone wrong. Caleb doesn’t think she’d have taken such a risk, nor does he think she might have killed herself on purpose—but who wanted her dead? Kaufman writes in a close third-person perspective that occasionally breaks into Caleb’s internal monologue. The author quickly lays out the clues and potential murder suspects, who include Mary Jane’s seemingly innocent lawyer and environmentalist husband; her ornery, conservative father, who disapproves of his daughter’s choice of partner; Mary Jane’s close friend, who happens to appear on crutches the day after Mary Jane’s death; and an outcast who recently returned to his hometown looking for redemption. Kaufman also expertly spools out small details as Crane digs deeper into the case. The mystery is further enhanced by a running throughline about the story of Purim, and the recurring notion that things are rarely as they appear to be. It later becomes clear that Mary Jane’s death was not only a murder, but also that some of the suspects may be next on the killer’s list, and readers will be eager to get answers. Overall, the narrative is judiciously paced and shows Kaufman’s ear for realistic dialogue, and it will keep readers guessing until the final reveal.

An engrossing, thorny whodunit set in a small town with big secrets.