HARD HEADED WOMAN

A young woman turns amateur sleuth when she suspects her father was murdered in Gimple’s novel.

The death of Axel Johansson, the devoted superintendent of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge for 30 years (he “transformed a rat infested, garbage strewn swamp into one of New York City’s environmental treasures”), is officially ruled the result of a stroke. But his 30-year-old daughter, Hannah, becomes convinced he was murdered after her cousin Phil, a medical doctor, declares poisoning to be a more likely culprit. Phil stealthily takes a sample of Axel’s blood and confirms there was “enough methyl iodide in [Axel’s] system to kill a buffalo.” Hannah decides to conduct her own investigation and breaks into the refuge at night with her best friend, Bette. They discover some “sinister goings-on”—the park is suddenly closed, policed by an “armed-to-the-teeth stormtrooper,” and there are mysterious deliveries being made in the dead of night. In this entertaining crime drama, which deftly combines light comedy with a suspenseful mystery, Hannah transforms into “some kind of overgrown Nancy Drew.” As Hannah plumbs further into the depths of her father’s death, she uncovers a criminal conspiracy alongside something far more personal and shocking. This rollicking tale works largely due to two reasons: First, this is a genuinely gripping and unpredictable story, entangled but never superfluously convoluted. Second, Hannah is an uncommonly compelling hero, as tough as a she is vulnerable. As the plot progresses, so does she, from a defeated woman—divorced, living with her mother, and bereft of career prospects—to an assertive one with newly discovered talents. While the tale often challenges credulity, it does so in the manner of a well-wrought fantasy; it’s a smartly composed adventure. This is essentially a Nancy Drew-style caper redone for adults, and a deeply enjoyable one, too.

A gamesome detective story, dramatically absorbing and intelligently wrought.