Mystery Book Review

The Dangerous Hour

by Marcia Muller
(New York: Mysterious Press, 2004)

Reviewed by Wil Hoffman

     Marcia Muller was born in 1944 in the Detroit area in a house full of books.  It worked.  Marcia wrote her first novel at the age of 12!

     She studied creative writing at the University of Michigan.  She was stymied in her third year when her professor told her that she would never be a good writer because she had nothing to say.  She switched to journalism, was graduated with a B.A. and M.A. and moved to California.

     About three decades ago, Muller created Sharon McCone.  She founded a detective agency which grew with hard work and integrity in San Francisco.  McCone has appeared like clockwork with no hint of boredom. 

     After an upbeat staff meeting late one afternoon, two policemen appeared with warrants to search Julia Rafael's apartment and office.  They found about $5000 in merchandise but no credit cars.  Julia was take to jail.  In the meantime McCone got dozens of phone messages, notes in the mail, and gun shots in isolated places in the city.  She assumed she was fair game for Reynaldo Dominguez who wanted revenge for being in jail.

     McCone realized that her business and reputation were at stake.  She was know to stand by her staff, including Julia.  The real dangers were the druggies, some from the '70s, who were buying and selling drugs.  When was The Dangerous Hour?

     A division exists in society.  Sharon stands for justice, peace, rational though, and order.  On the other side the lower orders are illiterate, poor, have little hope of bettering themselves and little regard for humanity.  Jonny Duerte, a drug seller, explained his situation ethics.  "It takes a brave man to kill.  I am a brave man."  The missing element is humanity.

     The book is well done.  Muller, despite her professor's advice, is a brilliant writer.  Her characters are real and she uses geography wisely.  Muller has been called the Mother of Modern Female Sleuth.  There is much truth in that evaluatin.  By the way, what does the title - The Dangerous Hour - mean?  A good book.

     Copies are available in the Hiram College Bookstore or the Portage County Library.