Swan Dive

The swan nuzzling a naked woman on the cover telegraphs the Greek myth conceit of Burke's debut, a contemporary crime novel set in an unnamed Atlantic coast town. George Fuller, an investment company owner, hires PI Johnny “Blue” Heron to discover whether his son, Castor, is cheating on Beverly Whitney, his son's proper fiancée. Soon after accepting the job, Heron is accosted by the imposing chauffeur of a black limo, who invites the gumshoe inside the car to meet his boss, Beverly's father, Douglas. Douglas, who hopes to merge his investment company with Fuller's, offers Heron a bribe to get off the case. The book's lyrical, vague prologue becomes clearer once Heron happens on Castor's still warm dead body. The parallels with Greek myth become really obvious once the reader learns Castor's mother is named Leda. While Burke does a decent job with Heron's narrative voice, those not well versed in Greek myth may be left wondering how relevant it is to the murder's solution. (Sept.)