The Interpretations

MacKenzie’s chilling debut is as much a novel of a small town struggling to retain its identity in rapidly changing times as it is a murder mystery. Even after the Dalmore, Scotland, police conclude that Tom Kingsmill committed suicide by jumping off the Duie Bridge during a nighttime two-and-a-half mile race, Tom’s friend Mike Delvan is convinced that’s not the case. Tom’s disappearance—in addition to previous deadly events that have occurred on the bridge—motivate Mike to consider the inner workings of the town and Tom’s life. Set in 1982 and the present day, events unroll slowly, and the crime investigation fades into the backstory, as MacKenzie focuses a sharp eye on the understated interactions among the town’s inhabitants. Readers prepared for a quiet dénouement will enjoy learning just as much about the history of the deadly bridge as the murky events that took place there. (Dec.)