Dreams of Justice: Mysteries as Social Documents

Long-time mystery reviewer Adler, who writes the Crime Watch column for the Chicago Tribune, has collected a variety of his reviews in a volume that will mainly appeal to hardcore fans of the genre. While his selections certainly include commentary on many books that use aspects of American political life (especially the African-American experience), the intriguing subtitle is not matched by the contents as a whole. Classic mystery lovers will enjoy the essay on the legendary Anthony Boucher, but the other chapters are simply aggregations of reviews, grouped by a common subject (historical mysteries, ones with a wartime setting, etc.). Still, Adler introduces readers to some deserving authors that they might otherwise miss.