Friday, July 4, 2014

Dead Float: A Cal Claxton Mystery-Warren Easley

Dead Float: A Cal Claxton Mystery
Warren Easley
Poisoned Pen, Jul 1 2014, $24.95
ISBN 9781464202681

In Dundee, Oregon, fishing guide Philip Lone Deer easily convinces his buddy former Southern California prosecutor turned small-town attorney Cal Claxon to join him as a guide on an angling trip on the Deschutes River.  The Portland clients include CEO Hal and Alexis Bruckner.  While fishing for salmon on the Klickitat in Eastern Washington, Cal and Alexis had a tryst last fall that he is not proud of though he enjoyed it.

On the river trek, someone slashes Hal’s throat.  Everyone who accompanied the deceased is considered a person of interest, but Cal’s missing knife makes him the prime suspect.  As such he investigates focusing on whether the motive rests inside the high tech firm that Hal ran.

The second Cal Claxton Oregonian Mystery (see Matters of Doubt) is an engaging tale that captures the beautiful essence of the state’s fishing area through the eyes of the protagonist.  The whodunit is fun but lacks depth while the odyssey of Cal’s daughter in the Sudan feels unnecessary and intrusive.  Still fans will enjoy touring the Pacific Northwest’s major fishing holes with Cal as our guide.


Harriet Klausner

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