Black Diamond Fall by Joseph Olshan; Polis Books, © 2018,263 ISBN 9781947-9933410; 263 pages.
By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO – Sam Solomon, a gay Jewish man, is accused in the disappearance and possible homicide of a lover young enough to be his son. When he awakens in a hospital in Utah, following a skiing accident in which he broke his leg and nearly lost his life, Solomon is surprised to find detective Nick Jenkins sitting alongside his bed, waiting to question him.
Before long, the scene in this novel shifts back to Vermont where Luc Flanders had disappeared. Jenkins, along with his partner Detective Helen Kennedy, may suspect Solomon, but they’re not ruling out that someone else may have “dunnit” – if it was done at all.
There is a long list of possible suspects in a part of Vermont where the poet Robert Frost had his cabin, and where former U.S. President Calvin Coolidge once was domiciled. For example, there are twin brothers who seem to have a special hatred for the late great poet Frost, and possibly extended that hatred to Luc’s mother, who served as a docent at Frost’s cabin. Then there is a college roommate of Luc’s who may have been jealous of the time his roommate spent with Solomon. Also, there is a girl whom Luc, still confused about his sexuality, had been dating.
While working their way through the clues and the suspects, the detectives travel from one Vermont venue to another, with author Olshan delighting us with his descriptions of the scenery and local history.
The Jewish content in this mystery is minimal but I’d still rate the book as a good read.
*
Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com