Book Review: Dead Letter: Addressee Unknown
Elyse and her friends are hot on the trail of $50 million worth of rare stamps that were pilfered from Jewish collectors during WWII and then hidden, possibly in the Lunersee Lake in Austria.
Cole enjoys outdoor activities such as scuba diving and rock climbing, and these interests flavor her storytelling. Cole also has a nice understated sense of humor. Unfortunately, though, I do not think Dead Letter lives up to the full potential of the intriguing storyline. The first half of the book is sluggish, mainly because Elyse is narrating instead of participating in the action. She tells the reader about a variety of wonderful World War II mysteries, such as the disappearance of Russia’s opulent Amber Room, but she tells them as she uncovers them on the Internet. There’s also very little interplay between the characters in the first half. In the second half of the book, the pace picks up with more character interaction and an exciting climax.
Most of the scenes could use more detail. For instance, the book opens with Elyse reporting for jury duty, but I had no idea this scene was taking place in my old hometown of Joliet until much later in the book when Elyse recalls a “mysterious character in the Joliet courthouse.” Likewise, since Dead Letter is the second book in the series, it takes the reader a while to figure out who the characters are and how they are connected. This lack of background leaves the reader a bit disoriented. In addition, the publisher did not provide much in the way of editing and proofreading, and I was surprised by some of the errors (Auschwitz is spelled “Auswitch” in three places).
With better editing, and more character and scene development, Dead Letter could be as much fun as the Indiana Jones adventures.