THE CALL OF THE WYLDES

In Rathkopf’s debut mystery, the wife of a wealthy New York City businessman is dead, a pill bottle beside the bed—but there’s more to the death than meets the eye.

To the casual observer, Charlotte Wylde would seem to have had it all. Married to a billionaire, she spent her days shopping and socializing, aided at every turn by her young assistant, Kristina Nolan, for whom she developed an almost maternal affection. Things weren’t quite as rosy as they seemed, though. Her husband was having an affair with a younger woman, which could have ruined his career; her son’s various addictions put his life, and hers, in danger; her daughter was living with a drug dealer who’s fallen afoul of a cartel. Even Kristina, whose monetary rewards for being Charlotte’s aide and confidante are substantial, was tempted to quit her job as soon as certain promises from Charlotte were fulfilled. For each of these characters, and several more besides, life would be much easier without her around. Was her death accidental, or did someone have a hand in it? Overall, this is an ambitious effort by Rathkopf with a fairly entertaining plot and some neat twists. Despite the fact that it’s narrated, in part, by Simon Crandell, an aspiring crime writer with a taste for hard-boiled classics, the old school mystery plot feels more indebted to Agatha Christie’s works than Raymond Chandler’s, and more melodramatic than either. The author is clearly capable of putting together a solid, engaging story. However, this one would likely have benefited greatly from a stronger edit; as it is, the character development often feels heavy-handed, and the culture clashes that drive the narrative feel clichéd.

An unevenly executed tale, but future mysteries from this author look promising.