"They had six days to live!"
Shadow Of Madness by author Hugh Pentecost is a deceptively simple thriller, its mystery centred on a handful of characters trapped in one location; it's to the author's credit the tension is maintained until the very end.
Psychiatrist Dr. John Smith wanders blindly through the woods, his solo fishing trip complicated by losing his way back to his car. Above him on the rocky outcrop appears Mark Douglas, his machine gun coaxing Smith uphill to the cabin where eight of Mark's closest friends are trapped inside by their host who is enraged and ready to explode. For several years, since his father passed away on the nearby lake, a blackmailer has controlled Mark's life with a secret he is ashamed will be revealed. The only person who could know the secret, and therefore be the blackmailer is in this group. Mark has set the ultimatum: reveal yourself within the next few days or everyone will be killed.
Mark's wife Kay is there, along with the news reporter John Cornwall, Nicky Banta the obsequious horse jockey, Mark's law partner George Lucas and his wife Laureen, his private secretary Pat Norton, a beautiful lush Fern Standish, and Paul Rudd who owns a machine shop. They grew up as friends, weekending over the years at the lakeside cabin. Mark lured them here this time under the pretext of discussing his move from law to the candidacy for the reform party, which necessitates the unendurable blackmail must end.
Over the next few days, Dr. Smith reveals the history of the group by interviewing each character - although it is clear no one is to blame for the death of Marks father, they all certainly had cause to be happy he is gone, for the judge is exposed as a manipulative tyrant who caused couples in love to marry other people, ruined careers, and ingratiated slimy Nicky into the group. As the deadline approaches, the tension mounts to the point someone is hurt so badly they are bedridden, and someone is brutally stabbed. This is no joke, and Dr. Smith must discern the truth about an anonymous blackmailer who never divulges what they actually know - so Mark himself can only guess at what unknown secret he is guilty of.
Yes, you might also find it odd to have characters named George Lucas and Paul Rudd. The group has formed such a twisted web of unspoken secrets and inner torments to keep you curious. As they all turn on each other to reveal the blackmailer and the secret, I was impressed how invested I was.
It's a solid mystery with a satisfying finale - a culprit you won't guess until the very end.
Hugh Pentecost is a pseudonym of Judson Pentecost Philips, an author of over 100 mystery and detective novels. In 1973 he received the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America.
1950 / Paperback / 192 pages
Comentarios