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