The Jekyl Island Club By Brent Monahan

Brent Monahan's mystery, 'The Jekyl Island Club' is amaking little progress.
great glimpse into the lives of the incredibly filthy rich inThe most entertaining part of the novel is Monahan's
the last years of the nineteenth century. The setting isportrayal of Joseph Pulitzer, the news tycoon, as aging
Jekyl Island off the coast of Georgia near Brunswick,and nearly blind but still sharp and very witty. I'm not
which was the playground for the ultra-wealthy suchcertain how precise the depiction is but this Pulitzer
as J. P. Morgan and Joseph Pulitzer, both of whomadds much to the story, with his jokes and
appear in the novel.over-bearing ego.
The story opens as a member of the club is foundThe story does pick up the pace a bit after one of the
murdered and Morgan tries to pressure the localclub's servants is murdered in what appears to be a
sheriff, John Le Brun, into concluding it was anrandom act of burglary at a bar on the mainland. The
accidental death by a poacher. An open and shutaction moves along from that point with the sheriff and
case. Le Brun, not one to be bullied, insists on athe deputy finding more clues and finally gaining
thorough investigation to find the murderer but alsorespect among the titans of industry.
what the millionaires are hiding on their exclusive resort.The conclusion, however, is rather complicated, which
With his somewhat duplicitous deputy Warfieldis a sharp contrast to the rest of the story. For the
Tidewell, Le Brun sets out interviewing the membersfirst three-fourths of the book, the sheriff and the
on the island and, at length, uncovers some very uglydeputy find very few clues and even fewer are given
truths and politically motivated agendas. Presidentto the reader when, in the last chapters, the bulk of the
McKinley visits the club during the events in theevidence is found. The sheriff reveals the solution in a
mystery but never becomes more than a peripherallong and meticulous monologue during which the
character and exits the story without incident.reader is as impatient with him as are Morgan and
Although the details and facts behind the island andPulitzer, when they angrily urge him to get to the point.
club, its members and the political climate of the timeIt is an entertaining read, despite the lull in action. The
are historically accurate and wonderfully written, thecharacters are colorful and the writing is superb. One
story tends to drag for much of the book. Since cluescan get a great lesson in U. S. history if one is paying
to the murder are few and no one is willing toattention. This certainly was much more enjoyable than
cooperate, the sheriff and deputy spend most of theirany history text book.
time interviewing and re-interviewing club members,