The first thing that stands out about Edward J. Leahy’s novel, DECEIVED BY ORNAMENT, is its dynamism, as both the heart and the body of the narrative mimic a police chase. It tears its way through the pages and leaps over figurative fences to deliver a thrilling reading experience. All the while, clues keep streaming in from every direction, and a string of shrewd investigators waits to subdue and dissect each one. The central mystery braids several crimes together, handling them so that they overlap and thicken the novel’s ambiance.

From the outset, the tempo of the investigation makes it clear that action is meant to remain at the forefront of the reader’s focus. But, while gripping in its own way, this choice provides little in the way of description. Aside from the commonplace setting, the characters remain largely faceless and racially ambiguous. This wouldn’t pose a problem if the novel’s premise didn’t rely so heavily on racial bigotry and anti-police sentiments.  Any challenges the characters may have had to face as a result of their appearance, especially when navigating the streets in uniform, are never truly addressed. As a result, the reader is left searching for ways of filling this psychological void on his own. One of the elements that help alleviate this feeling is the dialogue, which flows naturally even as it gains new layers of intrigue.

Complex power play adds color to this verbal topography, creating tangible relationships while pulling on various knots of tension. The initial dynamic between Kim and Cadman is particularly pleasing, as it’s both humorous and delivers plenty of narrative tension. Another source of stress is Kim’s marriage which, despite its placement along the margins of the plot, carves an internal world for her character to ripen in. However, the novel’s persistent flow of information, coupled with very little stimulus beyond the investigation itself, can prove overwhelming at times. This is mostly due to the fact that dialogue is the story’s dominant form of exposition. As such, it demands the reader’s absolute focus. If the mind strays, a handful of clues is lost. Finally, DECEIVED BY ORNAMENT shocks the reader by introducing the point of view of the main antagonist early on, which is a maneuver that feels oddly revealing at first. What this does is allow Leahy to transform the narrative into a waiting game, drawing the story’s newfound suspense not from its mystery, but the impulsiveness of a caged mind. Overall, the effect is captivating.

In DECEIVED BY ORNAMENT, Edward J. Leahy engages his extensive knowledge of police procedures to erect a multi-layered murder mystery. With race, religion, and police corruption at its core, the novel challenges both the intellect and the holes in one’s morality.

~Neil Czeszejko for IndieReader