Review of the detective story - Final Moments
Emma Page's Detective Story is Dull and Characterless
Mar 26, 2009
Emma Page has tried to write a perfect detective story. It’s like as if she did not want anyone to find fault with the book and therefore all trails are followed to the logical end, no stone is left unturned, and is peppered with the right number of varied personalities and also a minor twist. But the result, is an insipid tale, with no endearing or hateful characters, not much of a suspense and an oh-so-so plot.
There is no dearth of likely murderers of Venetia Franklin, the victim, divorced mother of two, but who seems to be the only character in the book, who was enjoying herself. Her ex-husband, his current wife, her current boyfriend or her long time admirer, who is also the local bank manager. Added to this we have not one, but two mental institutions in the vicinity, which throws up enough number of convenient suspects.
The characters are so perfectly drawn that the reader develop sympathies with all of them or none of them depending on which character is being discussed in the chapter. It starts off promisingly, with the reader determined to hate the victim, but then a few chapters down, the reader realizes that the victim is just someone who’s having fun and who just knows how to make a good deal. For the realization dawns that the victim is the only one who has or had a life. All other characters do not even come alive.
For a detective story enthusiast, there are enough clues to spot the murderer in the opening chapters, which is a good thing. But there is no exhilaration at the end of the book, for having guessed rightly.
But where the book lets the reader down, is the totally boring detective, Chief Inspector Kelsey and his side kick, Lambert. Kelsey does not have a clue as to what is happening even at the end of the book. There are allusions to him working hard but he seems to produce very few results, if any. He lacks imagination, insight, is not observant and devoid of personality. His detecting technique is to level the same accusations at every character in the story and listen to them deny it. And with a plot so transparent, he was bound to find the murderer finally and he does to the reader’s enormous relief.
The great thing about the book, though is the story keeps moving, though predictably. And despite being a ‘modern’ detective novel, has retained a lot of charm to be found in the detective fiction of the early twentieth century.
Final Moments, can be read, if there is no other detective literature available. Or it can be read, so the reader can derive additional pleasure from going back to a Christie or a Sayers or a PD James or any of the others.
