A Damn Near Perfect Crime Novel

[Benjamin Sobieck]

 

Book three in my Vincent Zandri marathon was "The Innocent." It kicks off the Keeper Marconi series, which follows a prison warden's career change to kicking ass outside the iron house, not in it.

 

"The Innocent" once again finds Keeper set up. This time, he takes the fall for a prisoner who escaped during a dental appointment. He's got to find the prisoner and figure out how to clear his name.

 

Actually, "this time" would be inaccurate, as I read "The Innocent" before I read its sequel, "Godchild," where he is also set up. No bother, it's all good stuff.

 

"The Innocent" starts what "Godchild" finishes, namely who murdered his wife. It's the motivating force behind everything he does. If Keeper has some contempt for humanity, it's only because he hasn't yet figured out which one of you dirty apes killed the love of his life.

 

The noir themes are heavy throughout "The Innocent," but didn't come across nearly as cliche as they did in "Godchild." It's my only criticism of this series. But as I've written before, there's a difference between regurgitating old tropes and just damn good writing. Zandri has that "it" factor that makes his work tick. There's a rhythm to his writing that works really well. I can't say that about everyone writing hard-boiled crime fiction these days.

 

Outside of noir, the other theme running through this series is redemption. Keeper's guilt for losing his wife drives him mad. He's lost his edge. After his death, the other characters note how absent-minded he's become. Even his crackdown on prison drugs, which used to be a roaring success, isn't working out. He's feeling weak and he knows it.

 

That's why he's so determined to clear his name and return to his job as a warden. His job is all he's got any more. Not that it's a rosy one. The book flashes back to a brutal Attica prison revolt in 1971. The event hardened Keeper's soul, but in the wrong ways. He knows disconnecting from the world is easy, but it's not worth the consequences. Because you might end up an alcoholic, like his friend Mike, or a sexual tyrant, like his boss, Wash Pelton. Or you might find yourself accused of a crime you didn't commit.

 

In short, Keeper is a complicated guy. I couldn't appreciate that by reading "Godchild" alone. Maybe reading a series out of order isn't all it's cracked up to be.

 

Click here to get "The Innocent" from Amazon for the Kindle.

 

Click here to get "The Innocent" from Barnes & Noble for the Nook.