JANUARY 11, 2018 // 23
BOOKMONGER
Detective series debuts with takedown of family empire
Thomas & Mercer, the
mystery/thriller arm of
Amazon Publishing, is
named for streets that flank
Amazon’s headquarters
complex in Seattle’s Lake
Union neighborhood. But
given the global reach of the
parent corporation, there’s
not much emphasis placed
on the Pacific Northwest
connection.
Look hard enough, how-
ever, and you’ll find a little
something.
“Next of Kin” is a recent
Thomas & Mercer paper-
back original and the debut
offering in the Buddy Lock
NYPD detective series.
It was conceived by
Minneapolis attorney James
Tucker, a past participant in
the highly competitive Tin
House Writers’ Workshop,
which is held annually in
Portland.
In this fast-moving,
brutal story, Tucker shines a
spotlight on the art world’s
underhanded legacy of
collusion with the Nazis
— now a killer is bent on
revenge for his family’s lost
heritage to profiteers during
World War II.
Buddy Lock is a detec-
tive first grade with the New
York City Police Depart-
ment. He is a workaholic,
and until art gallery execu-
tive Mei Adams came into
his life recently, the only
commitment he had was to
his career. But his relation-
ship with Mei has taken a
serious turn: He’s moved in
with her, and she is already
making noises about having
a baby.
Neither one expected to
have a trial run at parent-
hood, but that’s what hap-
pens when Buddy is asked
to take protective custody
of 10-year-old Ben Brook,
the sole surviving member
of a wealthy family that was
brutally murdered on New
Year’s Eve.
Buddy and his partner are
assigned to the high-profile
case, which includes corpo-
rate greed, family dysfunc-
tion, looted art masterpieces
and a serial killer on the
loose. When other members
of Ben’s extended fami-
ly — his aunts, uncles and
cousins — also end up dying
by heinous methods, Buddy
takes extreme measures to
protect his young charge.
But even high-tech alarm
systems, professional armed
security and trained attack
dogs are not enough to keep
the killer from penetrating
Ben’s various hideouts. Yet
by several strokes of luck,
Ben and Mei manage to es-
“Next of Kin”
By James Tucker
Thomas & Mercer
348 pp
$15.95
cape — not once, not twice,
but at least three times —
from the slayer’s sinister
intentions.
Obviously, reader cre-
dulity will be strained here.
It seems preposterous that
Buddy would keep assuring
Ben that he’ll be safe, when
whatever security detail gets
assigned to the kid always
winds up dead on the floor.
If you can get beyond
the problematic mechanics
of the killing-spree plot,
there are several elements
that hold promise for the
series. Tucker has a knack
for throwing in red herrings
that will keep you guessing
— including, in “Next of
Kin,” a mention of Seattle’s
Pike Place Market. Buddy’s
backstory has potential for
more development, and his
half-brother, Ward, is an in-
teresting secondary charac-
ter who deserves more time
on the page. As Buddy’s
girlfriend, Mei has panache
and some latent toughness.
By the way, if you have
Every Thursday
Dec. 28, 2017
coastweekend.com
W
N E E
AR’S
Y
PEOPLE
READ ABOUT
Local author tells of ‘My Three Friends’
COURTESY SEASIDE PUBLIC LIBRARY
SEASIDE — At 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan.
13, Friends of the Seaside Library
will welcome local author Linda Ed-
dleston as she tells the story of “My
Three Friends.” The event will take
place in the Community Room. There
will be book sales and signings.
“My Three Friends” tells a
coming-of-age story with charm and
delight. Eddleston’s memoir is the
account of four young girls who come
together in Portland in the 1950s. She
describes the choices, successes, trials,
tragedies and, most of all, the enduring
friendship of four women, framed by
the events of the decades they grow up
in.
From a third grader’s demand,
“Why me? It’s your brother’s pigeon
coop,” though broken arms and broken
hearts, separations and reunions, and
a last walk on a beach, “My Three
Friends” reminds the reader what it
was like to be young and grow togeth-
er. Though these women came of age
‘MY THREE
FRIENDS’ TELLS A
COMING-OF-AGE
STORY WITH
CHARM AND
DELIGHT.
in the 1950s and ’60s, their experiences
are universal; even today’s teenagers
will appreciate the characters and their
story.
The book also includes Eddleston’s
summer experiences in Seaside and
will touch on the riot of 1962.
Eddleston is a retired elementary
and special education teacher. She is
the author of the anthology “That Hol-
iday Feeling” and has published works
in The Children’s Ministry Magazine.
Seaside Public Library is located at
1131 Broadway St. For more infor-
mation, call 503-738-6742 or visit
seasidelibrary.org.
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THEM ON PAGES
10 AND 11
Pig n’ Pancake
Fort George
Wet Dog
Blue Scorcher
Rusty Cup
Street 14 Café
Arnie’s Café
Astoria Rivewalk Inn
Buoy Beer
Ast-War Chamber
River Sea Gallery
Holly McHone Jewelry
UrgentCare NW
Astoria Corner Deli
Baked Alaska
Carruthers
Astoria Dwtn Assoc
Astoria Coffeehouse
Motel 6
BW Lincoln Inn
Comfort Suites
Holiday Inn Express
Lamplighter
Commodore Hotel
Crest Motel
Rivershore Motel
Columbia Inn
Hampton Inn
a novel up your sleeve, the
application period for the Tin
House Writers’ Summer 2018
Workshop opened Jan. 8.
The Bookmonger is Bar-
bara Lloyd McMichael, who
writes this weekly column
focusing on the books, au-
thors and publishers of the
Pacific Northwest. Contact
her at bkmonger@nwlink.
com.
is now available
at the following
locations throughout
Clatsop County
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Martin North (Surfsand)
Stephanie Inn
Pelican Brewery
Chamber of Commerce
Fresh Foods
Adrift Hotel
Hungry Harbor Grille
Beach Day Coffee
Ashore Hotel
Pig ‘n Pancake
Visitors’ Bureau
Finn’s Fish House
McMenamins
Inverted Experience
Shilo Inn
Comfort Inn
Rivertide Suites
Holiday Inn
Inn at Seaside
Best Western
Shilo Inn
River Inn
Libraries
Gearhart by the Sea
Shelburne Inn
The Depot Restaurant
Uptown Café
coastweekend.com