Takes One to Know One

Susan Isaacs has written a cozy mystery It Takes One To Know One (Atlantic Monthly Press, $26.00) that reads a lot like a Sue Grafton novel. When the main character, Corie Geller, sits down for lunch we learn not only what she ate but whether she used mustard or ketchup on her sandwich. But give Isaacs credit, Takes moves faster than a Kinsey Millhone mystery and the tension gradually builds into an exciting, though possibly overwrought climax. Corie retired from the New York City FBI counterintelligence team to marry a wealthy former big-shot lawyer now turned federal judge, who comes with his own sad tale — the death of his wife, leaving him with a teenage daughter. As the story begins, Corie has adopted the girl but knows her biological clock is ticking and is hoping that the judge will soon be ready to make an addition to his family. She has moved into her new husband’s home which had been lavishly decorated by his deceased wife, making Corie feel like she lives with a ghost, though her life seems idyllic.

But you can take the girl out of the FBI but not the FBI out of the woman. Corie joins a Long Island lunch group mainly for something else to do besides translating Arabic literature at home. Soon her antenna picks up strange signals from another regular attendee, one Pete Delaney, supposedly a packaging designer. He must sit in the same chair every week, constantly staring into the parking lot as if he’s afraid that someone is going to steal his car and reveals little about himself. One of the other women in the group confides she once saw Delaney key a new Tesla which took his parking place and Corie begins searching for information online. She consults her father, a retired NYPD detective, then visits with her old boyfriend who is still in the FBI, putting together a picture of Delaney.

Here Isaacs throws a wrench into the plot — Corie is still obviously attracted to old boyfriend, leaving the reader to speculate and perhaps hope nothing happens. Piecing together the brief stories Delaney has told at lunch about his travels, Corie traces his path to Houston where after much fruitless research she comes upon hard evidence that Delaney may be quite a bad character. One delightful attribute of Corie is her willingness to play a little rough with witnesses. Isaacs does a wonderful job shifting the plot into high gear when you least expect it and the last chapters are impossible to put down. The writing though occasionally burdened with detail, is nevertheless, crisp and delightful. Isaacs has won the John Steinbeck Award and is a past president of Mystery Writers of America. I highly recommend this A- quick read.

Steve E Clark as seen in the New York Times is Author of  Justice Is for the Lonely  and  Justice Is for the Deserving,  Kristen Kerry Novels Of Suspense.  Steve is a 2017 NY Big Book Award winner and a 2018 Independent Book Awards recipient.  You can purchase his books via https://steveclarkauthor.com/buy-the-book/ or request it at your local book store.  Want to know more about Steve Clark, read more reviews or speak directly with Steve?  Learn more about Steve at SteveClarkAuthor.com