cover image Necessary Evil

Necessary Evil

Killarney Traynor. CreateSpace, $15 trade paper (350p) ISBN 978-1-5173-9033-4

Madeleine Warwick, the narrator of Traynor’s skillfully plotted mystery, lives with her aunt on their New Hampshire horse farm, which has been in their family for centuries. Following rumors spawned by a reality show that treasure is buried somewhere on the land, a steady stream of opportunists have trespassed on the farm, disturbing the grounds by digging holes by dark. One such hole resulted in Madeleine’s uncle falling death from his horse, leading Madeleine to forge a document for the purpose of permanently debunking the treasure’s existence. After a pompous professor learns of the forgery, intruders continue to invade the property. Traynor (Summer Shadows) intersperses 19th-century letters and diary entries from individuals associated with the alleged Chase family treasure, while her restrained prose gracefully unveils the living characters’ true motivations. Distinctive prose is a plus: “A hole is such a silent thing. It’s a danger unlike most others, where the absence of matter is its greatest weapon. I pondered that it wasn’t dirt that killed my uncle, but the lack of it.” [em](BookLife) [/em]