New Book Alert: Forgive Me by Joy Ellis; Tense and Intricate Short Story About Guilt and Suicide

 New Book Alert: Forgive Me by Joy Ellis; Tense and Intricate Short Story About Guilt and Suicide

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Sometimes guilt can overwhelm people so much that they will do the most self-destructive acts to make the pain go away. Sometimes that guilt can be exacerbated by reminders, news articles that state the crime, anniversaries of the witnesses, including friends and family members. The guilty party will do anything to end that hurt, including murder and suicide.

That is the premise behind Forgive Me, Joy Ellis' engaging, tense, and intricate stand alone short story about the investigation of a man's presumed suicide and the guilt that preceded it.

PCs Yvonne Craig and Jamie Smith are investigating the death of Arthur Sims. He appeared to have committed suicide, but he seemed like a decent enough guy. He was involved in charities and volunteer organizations and was a staunch Catholic. He was described as a decent, calm, helpful guy. So why would he do it? Why would he leave a note that says "Please forgive me?" Forgiveness for what and who had been sending him threatening notes saying that the sender didn't forget something? What was that something and why would it be so traumatic that it would drive Sims to suicide?

Because of the short length and the fact that they are mostly investigating a suicide not a murder for the most part, there aren't any suspense chases and moments where they are trailing potential suspects. Most of the investigation is done primarily through computers and researching newspaper archives. It may be dull to some mystery Readers, but others may like a bit of realism mixed in with their literature. This is how many investigations are conducted these days. Sometimes it's just a matter of lots of research and finding the right article. Rarely are dangerous criminals apprehended in violent confrontations with a heart stopping confession that reveals all. Because of the realism,,the plot is more subdued but still interesting.

Because the short story is all about the investigation, there is not a whole lot in terms of character development except one moment that is best not revealed. This characterization seems to come ot of nowhere but is good in getting the Reader to question the characters' motives, means, and pre-knowledge of the events.

Aside from the revelation, Craig and Smith are a good team for a short story like this. They don't have time to deal with marital conflicts or family squabbles. They are here to investigate and investigate they do to solve not only the reason for Sims' suicide but also a long buried cold case that can no longer wait to be solved. A cold case in which Sims was involved which haunted him for the rest of his life.

Forgive Me is short, but Ellis does a great job capturing this tension of investigating a death and revealing that sometimes, a person can not run away from past guilt fast or far enough.