Review: “The Twenty-Year Death” by Ariel S. Winter
C.Kinzie || Kamloops, BC
On August 7th, Titan Books is releasing “The Twenty-Year Death” by Ariel S. Winter. This is Winter’s first novel and it’s marvelous. I got this book just in time. As the heat of summer hit us hard I was in need of a gripping story and I got one.
Winter has actually written three novels; each one set in a different time and written in a different style. Set in consecutive decades the novels imitate the style of an iconic Hard crime author. Winter has done an amazing job of capturing the voice specific to each writer.
It might seem like a confusing idea; three novels in one book but Winter pulls it off flawlessly. “The Twenty-Year Death” is, essentially, three separate novels with some central characters that carry through. Two characters feature in each of the three plots: American writer,Shem Rosenkrantz and his wife and up-and-coming-starlet, Chloe. And what characters they are!
Rosenkrantz is an off-the-wall writer with enough problems to warrant five or six more novels. His wife, Chloe, is a fragile creature and eventually becomes a starlet in Hollywood. All three plots wind their way around Chloe and Shem and it’s intriguing to see how the two of them grow and change. In a sense the reader is watching their lives from afar and seeing the ups and downs they face; the blows they are dealt by the people around them and, ultimately, where they end up.
1931′s story is “Malniveau Prison” written in the style of Georges Simenon. A body is found in a rain storm, face down in a gutter, by a small-town baker. A couple of detectives take on a Prison warden when they discover that stabbings are going unreported.
Set in 1941,”The Falling Star” is in the style of Raymond Chandler. This story begins in the chaos of a Hollywood film lot. When a would-be starlet is brutally murdered a retired cop gets involved and finds out just how connected everyone in Hollywood is.
Finally, in 1951 Winter takes the reader on a crazy journey that begins with wanting to make amends and ends… well, that would be telling.”Police at the Funeral” written in the style of Jim Thompson is at times a tragic tale of mistakes, responsibility and hopelessness.
At the core of each story is a unique detective with a unique case to solve. If you’re a traditionalist when it comes to hard case crime you’re going to love these stories. There are three intriguing cases, three multi-faceted protagonists and yes, all the cases are solved.
“The Twenty-Year Death” was an absolute pleasure to read. Whether you’re new to case crime fiction or an old-hat when it comes to the genre, I think that you’ll love this book
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