Too Many Murders

By Colleen McCullough, Harper Collins, 371 pages, $54.99.

Twelve murders in one day would stretch the resources of any town, and certainly that of Holloman, New England, population 150,000 in 1967. They certainly challenge super sleuth Carmine Delmonico and his crew, and one would think they would stretch the imagination of author Colleen McCullough. Such is not the case. She easily conjures the seemingly unrelated crime scenes, widely diverse methods of murder and a huge cast of characters.

Initially I counted the 12 victims, 14 officers of the law, 37 family members, business associates, significant others, and seemingly unrelated persons, and that was just in the first 100 pages.

Victims range from a toddler to students to faculty, to a CEO, a prostitute and a 71 year old widow. Were any or all of them related to each other? How many murderers were there?

But wait; there were more murders, a suicide, and various near misses yet to come, plus subplots involving Cold War intelligence exchange, ambitions in the local police force and the FBI, and threats to Delmonico's family.

Fast paced intrigue, espionage, romance and scandal follow, orchestrated into a crescendo to discover the supreme villain whose intellect and cunning rivals that of Delmonico's.

McCullough again shows her skill by synchronising too many murders and too many characters into a griping page turner. Be prepared to stay up late.

• Tedi Busch is a retired veterinarian from Brightwater.

- © Fairfax NZ News