A nondescript mystery that couldn’t decide whether to be a murder mystery or a political/crime thriller


Dead Sand was a random book someone passed along to me at some point. I can’t remember who or when, but it has been sitting on my shelf for years. So I finally read it.

Set in the small fictional, coastal town of Tyler, New Hampshire, Dead Sand is about Lewis Cole, a retired DOD research analyst turned magazine columnist who is driven to solve the mystery of a murdered teenage girl.

The writing had a lot of background description: mostly scenic, but also little stuff about the town, people, etc. None of it grabbed my attention.

As far as the plot, it felt over-the-top for a small town murder. I can’t say more than that without spoilers, but it definitely felt like the “But wait! There’s more!” style of adding more crime and conspiracy.

Since this was published in the 1990s, the story did feel dated at times. There was some underlying sexism. Nearly every female character flipped her hair frequently, Lewis wasn’t shy about describing the women’s butts, and even the women who were supposed to have agency quickly faded into the background whenever they weren’t pivot to a plot point.

Of course, as a moody, mysterious hero, Lewis had a shadowy and tragic backstory. His past was hinted at throughout the book and slowly revealed through flashback scenes. I know those scenes were supposed to tease about the main character's wretched past, but I was bored with those sections. particularly the way it was slowly teased and dragged out in tiny bites.

I don’t have any major bones to pick with this book, but I simply was not that interested. Neither the characters nor the plot kept me particularly engaged. So, I am unlikely to continue with the series.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 3 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 2 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 2 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars