Bloody Halls
by Carl Brookins
Published by Echelon Press (January 2008)
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Reviewed by Kathy Perschmann
This is the first in a new series–and it is excellent!
Jack Marston is the head of Student Services at an unusual urban university in Minnesota, one with a lot of adult students, and no real “campus,” City College. Even though he is swamped with work, he tries out for the college’s Ibsen play, An Enemy of the People, and is cast in a major role. One night while rehearsing, the cast hears a lot of crashing about in the lobby, but no one goes to investigate. Later they find that a college student, Stuart Jamison, has been murdered.
Oddly enough, all of Jamison’s computerized records–classes, transcripts, everything–have been erased. Jamison was a computer expert. Had he erased himself from the City College computers?
Jack gets into the office of Alissa Constant, who is on vacation, to try and find a paper file on Stuart from a math prize he had won several years before; and while in her desk, Jack discovers more than he bargained for: a series of files on staff members written in a strange code. There is even a file on Jack, and one on his lady friend, Lori!
Next, Alissa is found dead, stuffed in the closet in the hotel across the street that is being torn down. Another staff member, Marshall, who was romantically involved with her, is arrested for her murder. Jamison just seems to be forgotten by the police, and no one is pressuring for a solution.
The college president pressures Jack to investigate on his own, to be the college’s liaison with the police. Jack gets odd things in the mail; a staff member finds a pornographic video; and a faculty member commits suicide. What is going on? Are the two murders connected? Will Jack be able to save his friend Marshall from a murder charge? Will the faculty resent Jack’s prying? With all that is going on will Jack ever be able to memorize his lines for the play?
Brookins has worked at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minnesota on the faculty and also as a counselor. His experiences have made this work very realistic and fun to read. He really brings the faculty and staff to life. I will certainly look for the new books in this series.
Armchair Interviews says: Fun read, so enjoy.
Author’s Web site: http://MinnesotaCrimeWave.org