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Kiss Her Goodbye

By Allan Guthrie
Hard Case Crime for Dorchester Publishing

Reviewed by: Kevin Tipple

For Joe Hope, life in Edinburgh, Scotland isn't easy. He does not particularly like violence but inflicting violence and pain on others is his life's work. Well known for his ability to wield a baseball bat with great effectiveness, Joe Hope does his work on behalf of Cooper. When folks can't or won't pay back the money they owe, Cooper, who has been his friend and employer for years, has Joe help with the payment process. They will pay up--one way or the other.

In fact, the day Joe found out his only daughter, Gemma, was dead he was at Cooper's having just finished a session with a debtor. It was bad enough that Gemma apparently killed herself by overdosing on pills. What made it worse was the fact that Joe had trusted Adam Wright, a distant cousin as well as owner of some sort of writing colony near Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands, to keep her safe. He failed and failed miserably. Joe's daughter wanted to be a poet and now she was dead. His wife, Ruth, had said all along this was bad idea and she had reason to hate Adam's guts. Now, she blames Joe in a series of violent heated arguments and Joe blames Adam. Since Gemma has died, Joe intends to follow through on his promise to harm Adam, as Adam has a lot to answer for.

Before he can get to Adam, he is arrested for murder. Not in the death of his daughter, but for the murder of his wife. There is no doubt it was murder since she was found in the trunk of Joe's car at the airport and her body had clearly been beaten repeatedly with a baseball bat. As evidence against him mounts and Joe, with some help, goes on the run, he must find a way not only to clear his name but to also bring justice to those who framed him so well.

This is a violent, intense story that spins a dark tale from the very first page. Violence is a heavy theme, almost to the point of being a major character throughout the work. With very page, violence lashes out or sits coiled and ready to strike as Joe lives a nightmare. A nightmare that is skillfully depicted, as Joe seems to inch steadily closer to losing his mind, as he is overwhelmed with pain and rage. His suffering comes through in stark and vivid detail as the work steadily and engrossingly moves forward exploring the thin veneer of civility that covers us all. This intense well-written mystery--featuring a wide and deep cast of characters and a complex situation--is a worthy offering in the noir field and well worth your time.

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