When a small-town bank is held up, the suspects aren’t just the people in masks — it’s everyone inside, each harboring their own criminal secrets. This clever setup serves as a backdrop for a narrator who speaks directly to the reader, dissecting the rules of mystery writing while leading them through a maze of greed and petty local grudges.
This 4th book in the series features amateur author and crime solver, Ernest Cunningham, and trades explosive action and police procedural for a sharp, cynical wit. The plot is like a logic puzzle and is quite convoluted since every person involved is a thief in one way or another. The moral and psychological weights of theft come into play along with the crimes themselves. And it’s not just stealing, it’s also murder. And crazy stuff like spontaneous combustion.
The protagonist in this series isn’t a traditional hero but more an adherent to following the rules of detective fiction. Ernest is a self published author who comes from a family of criminals so he has a bit of a messy heritage. He breaks that fourth wall and talks to the reader by pointing out clues and other observations as he sees them during his investigation or observations. I had no idea where this one was going as it got more convoluted by the page and quite a list of characters to keep straight.
All comes together in the typical parlor room reveal where the logic is laid out and the killer is unmasked. Once again, the author follows the fair game rules. There was no way I could guess most of the revelations much less determine who did what to whom or why.
I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publisher. The narrator, Barton Welch, did a good job of capturing Ernest’s self aware, witty, and often conversational tone. He’s able to give unique personalities to his cast from the teenage gamer to the female security expert. Definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book.
This is the 4th book in a series that should be read in order from the beginning.
Genre and tags: mystery, fourth wall, meta, murder, gold, thieves
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