Hunter & Clewe #1
This novel has a very meta set up. Jane Hunt, a retired librarian, has found a job cataloguing the library of Cam Clewe, a wealthy young man with a huge collection of books, many of them mystery novels. Jane is 60, and she’s downsizing because her daughter has left home (and her house was too expensive). She’s found an apartment, one that sounds like something Kinsey Milhone would feel comfortable living in, a tiny but charming space over the carriage house/garage of a retired reporter.
Her first meeting with Cam is interesting. He’s much younger than Jane supposed, and he has a slightly off manner, a manner that doesn’t take emotion much into consideration. Jane, a maternal soul, is pretty much the opposite. Initial meeting with Cam over, Jane heads home to settle in and escape a large fundraiser Cam is sponsoring at his house. Jane has also overheard a fight between Cam and his girlfriend, Ashley, seeming to result in their breakup.
The next morning, Jane heads to work, snags a cup of coffee from the chef in the massive kitchen, and heads to the library. She naturally finds – a body in the library – and just like in Christie’s novel, the body belongs to a young girl in a spangly dress. Unlike the Christie novel, however, Jane immediately knows who it is: it’s Ashley, Cam’s girlfriend.
The police naturally descend and because Cam is the “ex” he’s also at the top of their suspect list. Cam, whose mind is logical and precise, doesn’t care for this state of affairs, and plans to investigate the crime on his own, enlisting Jane and his house manager Lauren as assistants. Jane, feeling like this is nearly a research task, lets her librarian brain take over and plunges in with gusto. This earns her some threats and a home invasion but she persists, sharing her discoveries with Cam along the way.
Jane and Cam have a nice yin and yang. They are the opposite in personality, and the combination of their skills is a winner. Because Jane is so maternal, I have a feeling Cam, in future novels, may continue to rely on her more and more, and not just for her investigative skills. The mystery part of the novel is well crafted (though there is one whopper of an obvious clue), but the set up overall is charming and Jane and Cam are both extremely appealing characters. This is the perfect read for a relaxing summer evening in the back yard with a glass of wine. – Robin Agnew