Book Review: The Pen Pal Murders

The Pen Pal Murders by James Falk
SterlingHouse Publisher, Fiction, Pemberton Books, $14.95 (210 pages), ISBN 1-56315-388-2

A stranger calls, promising suffering and doom. Yes, it’s a staple of the mystery genre, but damn! It sure works well in this super-suspenseful debut mystery novel by James Falk.

Diane Duval, a seemingly happy homemaker, receives such a message and a disturbing note after the mysterious disappearance of her husband. Her “pen pal,” a heartless psychopath, has marked her for murder, but the police are less than understanding. In desperation, Diane turns for help to Marge, a go-to news reporter with a penchant for getting into and out of trouble. As the two women try to identify the killer, Diane is shocked to l earn that she has unwittingly brought this horrifying situation on herself. Can she play the killer’s cat-and-mouse game long enough to help the police close in…or will she and Marge become the latest victims in the Pen Pal Murders?

Falk’s writing style, which is lean, spare and ultra realistic, helps build suspense and speed the plot forward. There’s not an ounce of fat in this intense novel, and most readers will be able to zoom through it deliciously in an hour or two. While it may not sport the most original theme, The Pen Pal Murders does a nice job of developing Diane’s character from passive housewife to steely survivalist in an entertaining and completely believable manner, and the conclusion is especially clever and fast-footed. Anyone looking for an absorbing read will not be disappointed in this book.