Book Review: Whatever Happened to Cathy Martin
Whatever Happened to Cathy Martin. Mim Eichmann, Living Springs Publishers, August 9, 2022, Paperback and eBook, 335 pages.
Reviewed by marssie Mencotti.
We hear a name, a song, a phrase, and we remember a friend from the past and wonder, "Whatever happened to. . .?" In this case, the missing person is Cathy Martin, the best childhood friend of the protagonist Denise Prescott. They were so close they had albums of many photos they took of one another and even tapes of recorded stories. Inseparable and devoted to each other at one time, they drifted apart in the foggy time of adolescence, helped by a third girlfriend, pushy and popular Janet Lynn Webster. Now grown and married to an ambitious and unfaithful man, Denise dithers in her marriage and a part-time journalist job. However, after attending a very upscale engagement event, she discovers that the woman about to marry her husband's uber-rich boss is none other than Janet Lynn Webster, the woman who ended Denise's youthful friendship with Cathy. She can't help but ask, "Whatever happened to Cathy Martin?" Such an innocent question springs open a trove of long-hidden secrets and murders.
As this tale unravels, Denise is helped by an interesting Amish detective, her decidedly eccentric parents, and a host of other people who also question Cathy's disappearance. Did she attend college, marry, drop in or drop out? This loaded and layered mystery intrigues the reader because our hero is not a private detective. She is meticulous about her facts, curious as a cat, and open about sharing her every attempt to find Cathy. When it becomes apparent that Cathy may not have meant to be found, we, as participatory readers, want to tell Denise not to ring that doorbell or answer that knock on her door. She grows more facile in recognizing danger as the plot grows sinister. This mystery takes place in 1978 before decades of forensic exploration, psychological profiling, and internet-developed technology that help us discover all but the most deeply buried perpetrators' motives. Denise is generally on her own, and therein lies the quivering suspense.
What is so refreshing about Mim Eichmann's tale is that she writes what a non-detective might do to find a friend from their past. Denise is constantly questioning things: Where should she go first? Who should she trust? Was Cathy Martin ever looking for her? Should she just keep having drinks with her current friends and give up the search altogether? Why is Denise so bent on finding Cathy? Is she still angry that her BFF was so easily taken from her, and that the sense of purpose they had shared with one another as children has morphed into Denise's marginal newspaper job, adulterous husband, and only one dear work friend as her entire social core? The curse of the intellectually curious is that once a quest is begun, it must be completed. But evil cannot be contained, and everyone gets touched by it, including Denise's sweet parents.
Currently, I've been reading more philosophical mysteries where the detectives are tortured by thoughts of right and wrong and are forced to make Solomonic choices. This novel clearly becomes a battle between good and evil, and in the chaos that ensues, we learn who is right and who is wrong. Identity theft, material theft, physical harm, and psychological trauma convince us that evil is not fair. Being good can be naïve, but that good can quickly learn to do what is needed to neutralize evil.
There's a great deal to love about this book. What I found is that Eichmann is a fine storyteller. The pace at which the novel accelerates is wondrous. We sometimes think that Denise is too trusting and should first try to solve her domestic problems. But that quickly accelerates into rooting for her to unravel this complex and layered mystery where bodies old and new litter the landscape. However, the desire of the reader to provide her with healthier skepticism in her search never wanes.
The quotes from Sherlock Holmes at the top of every chapter offer a sweet reminder of mysteries solved by careful sleuthing rather than clumsy trial and error. Short chapters let the reader stop and feel as though there are natural pauses to reflect on Denise's discoveries. The excitement and thrill of the mystery do not stop as a sweet small-town girl becomes a very savvy sleuth after learning some painful lessons.
At times, the plot seems a bit forced, and the clues feel more planted rather than allowed to be discovered. A lot of plot spills out in the last few pages, but that is not unusual for a complex story. There were a lot of unattached threads that had to be woven together to complete the adventure. Yet, through it all, the reader is right along with Denise as she puts it all together. There's an author's great gift in making us a part of the knot being unraveled and not just getting the lab reports two days later.
Overall, I would recommend this book as a fine read for anyone who loves a tightly constructed mystery with a nicely paced storyline that is sure to thrill. The added plus is that there is no obvious team of detectives to brainstorm the possible case but rather Denise Prescott, upstanding citizen, loving daughter, and consistent friend of Cathy Martin.
“Education never ends, Watson. It is a series of lessons, with the greatest for the last.”
― Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, His Last Bow