Louise Brooks: Detective

Inspired by Louise Brooks’s years in Kansas, Geary (A Treasury of Murder) imagines her as an accidental smalltown detective in this taut mystery. Her movie career having sputtered to a stop, the silent-film legend has returned to Kansas (where she was born) in search of fresh perspective. Soon, a wealthy widow has been found dead, and everyone has an alibi. A flat tire embroils Brooks in a second murder. Though this one seems like an open-and-shut case, Brooks has her own suspicions—and it isn’t long before her independent investigation lands her in trouble. Brooks is a compelling heroine, wry and brave despite her lonely circumstances. The book’s greatest flaw is its brevity: just as the plot opens up, it’s all over in a rush of exposition. This work probably should have been twice as long. What there is, however, remains a fun, twisty mystery for both film buffs and crime fiction lovers, and the final revelation is satisfying. (June)