NO MAN FOR MURDER

by Mel Ellis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 6, 1973

Young Danny Stuart is accused of killing vicious Jake Tabor, and as this story unfolds we learn that he had the motive, opportunity, and temperament to do so; the outline of the plot resembles nothing so much as a Perry Mason script, but the plot is really secondary to the wildlife/nature descriptions that permeate the book, the everyday activities of Stuarts' farm and the neighboring community, and the naturally developed relationships among (some of) the characters (notable among them the murdered man's dog Molly and her newly whelped pups). One mustn't look too deeply into motivation or logic here, and when the true murderer is revealed, it's not much of a surprise nor very important either. The focus is on the world of nature, not the folly of men, and if one remembers that, the book's flaws fade into the landscape. Not as memorable as Caribou Crossing, which was probably Mr. Ellis' best effort to date, but worthy of a fair trial.

Pub Date: Aug. 6, 1973

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Holt, Rinehart & Winston

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1973

Categories: FICTION