Jonathon King, Shadow Men

Shadow Men

Jonathon King

Dutton, Apr 2004, $23.95, 258 pp.

ISBN: 0525948074

In 1923, Cyrus Mayes and his sons Steven and Robert were part of a crew hired to cut the Tamiani Trail deep through the Everglades. Though dangerous, the men received room and board and very high wages. However, the trio vanishes without a trace and no one does anything to learn what happened to the Mayes males.

Eight decades later Mark Mayes has found letters that Cyrus sent to his wife before vanishing. He contacts West Palm attorney Billy Manchester to learn what happened to his relatives. Billy arranges for troubled private eye Max Freeman to conduct the search into his current home area. Max begins making inquiries of what he assumes will be impossible to learn what happened, but must have made waves because people have burned down his shack (no loss) and try to kill him when warning fails to make him back off. Instead, the attempts on his life propel the former Philadelphia cop to dig deeper into the Southern Florida wilderness.

Ironically, readers know from the beginning what actually happened to the Mayes men as a bit of nasty historical darkness is made visible. In spite of that revelation, the story line grips the audience as they wonder whether Max will uncover the truth and why someone wants him silent on an incident that occurred eighty years ago. The vivid descriptions of the Everglades as usual are top rate in its raw delicate beauty. Though the flashbacks will help new readers understand Max's sorrow, fans will find them disruptive and unnecessary thinking Philadelphia is in Pennsylvania not Florida. Still Jonathon King furbishes another delightful regional private investigative tale.

Harriet Klausner