Elegance and Evil: A Cleo Cooper Mystery Thriller Book 2 by DK Coutant; Average Cleo Cooper Mystery Lacks The Sparkle of The First Volume
By Julie Sara Porter
Bookworm Reviews
Spoilers: I suppose it's ironic that my previous review in DK Coutant’s first Cleo Cooper Mystery novel, Evil Alice and The Borzoi began with the importance of setting and how it is intrinsic to literature but especially a murder mystery. Because setting is one of the issues that impair its sequel, Elegance and Evil.
The book moves Cleo from her Hilo, Hawaii home to a new life in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A psychology professor, she is on sabbatical researching information at a domestic violence center. She also broke up with her former boyfriend, Ben and is now involved with Luc, who recommended her for this new position. At a dinner party, Cleo meets the locals including domestic violence center directors, Ginger and Samia who have disagreements over how the center should be run, Matias, Samia’s frequently absent husband, Kyle, Ginger’s freeloading boyfriend, and Jon, Luc and Ginger's unlikable outspoken friend. Cleo's new life becomes complicated when Ginger is found in the desert dead from heatstroke. Someone tampered with Ginger’s car and sent her out of her way so she could get lost in the desert and die from the heat. The question is who?
This book has some interesting characters particularly Cleo, Ginger, and some of the suspects but the setting is something of a letdown and the plot is predictable. It amounts to an average Murder Mystery which could be so much better.
The characters are as well written as in the first volume. Cleo is not as positive and self assured as she was in the previous volume. She is out of her depth and element embarking on a new relationship but unsure about what she wants and how to express her feelings. She is more cautious and preoccupied but is still holding onto a good nature that instantly befriends Ginger and admires her for her work. Even though she just met her, she still feels grief at her death.
The other characters are rich in their usual roles of victim, suspects, leads, and so on. Ginger is a woman who is instantly likeable. She is dedicated to helping women at the domestic violence center and practices generosity towards friends and strangers. She puts on a show of kindness and empathy which makes discovering her murderer difficult because who would murder such a benevolent woman?
Other characters have their moments that show depth behind their initial assessment. In comparison to Ginger’s warmth, Samia is more business like and seems colder. Her backstory of being an immigrant from male dominated Saudi Arabia reveals her vulnerability. Jon is mostly a narcissistic thoughtless misogynistic creep but there are hints of a softer side. Luc has some tender moments where he introduces Cleo to his family and provides her with necessary knowledge about the suspects. He also is a worthy aid to Cleo while standing back and making sure that she is the main character.
However, with her attention to character, Coutant falters in some aspects. One of the things that is really missing from this volume is setting. The original book was set in Hawaii and Coutant described it so beautifully. She knew the sights, sounds, and other senses of the place. She knew the culture, the terms, and colloquialisms, and how people referred to each other. She saw the beauty of Hilo but also the ugliness.
She did not just describe the scenic spots and charming locals, she was well aware of the crime, domestic violence, poverty, and murder that can simmer in such a place that tries to maintain a positive facade to hide the negative aspects within. The type of setting where a body is not expected but is sure to be found. This loss is greatly felt with the news that a volcano has erupted in Hilo and many of Cleo's friends are displaced or traumatized. Cleo sends as much assistance as she can but is anxious for those that are caught in this situation.
That is what is missing in the Santa Fe setting. It's not a bad place. The desert gives off a very tense atmosphere especially knowing the dry desert heat was purposely used to kill someone. But here isn't enough of Santa Fe. It could be replaced with any city and wouldn't impact the plot. There isn't really much about the character of the city or its locals. We are looking at it not as insiders just as visitors. The series went from someplace specific to anyplace anywhere making it more generic.
The missed opportunities are also found in the plot. There are some genuinely suspenseful moments but some leads are very obvious. The resolution is all too easy to figure out and its execution is extraordinarily rushed. It isn't the type of conclusion that leaves you thinking about how it all came together so much as it leaves you wishing that another conclusion could have been met.
Elegance and Evil has some good qualities but not enough to make it outstanding. With this series, the first volume is the best.
