On the Fringe (Severn House Mysteries)

This is the latest in the series of books about young professional golfer Lee and her boyfriend (now fiancee) detective Graham. Until now, the formula has been that a murder happens at a golf tournament in which Lee is involved, which she solves with the help of Graham and her friend Peg. However, this time what is missing from that is the "golf tournament" part.

Lee has been invited as a guest to an exclusive Hawaiian private golf club. There are a few amusing bits where Lee (who grew up poor and playing on public courses) is exposed to the traditions of a private golf club where the "club" aspect is really more important than the "golf" aspect.

There is a mysterious lost treasure, and then there is a murder. Lee becomes involved, as do Graham and Peg. But without the narrative structure (and implied pressure) of the golf tournament in the background, the story does not have the same intensity that the previous books have had. And Graham seems less and less a character and more and more a convenient plot device.

Peg and Lee are more developed characters, but they also are starting to seem a bit stale. The best bits in the novel concern the wacky old codgers who run the club, but they are really only the supporting cast. There should be some central structure for everything else to hang off of, and it seems to be lacking. In short, there is a large, golf tournament shaped hole in the middle of the plot.

I am not at all disappointed there is no tournament. I failed to figure out whodunit, which is good, because if on rare occasion I do, I tend to think the author has not been sufficiently clever. The author's plogs came up, apparently only because I looked up the review. I am sorry there will be no more of this series, but happy Elkins continues to write, and hopefully will continue to be published. I have been a fan since day one - library books, I'm afraid - and recently have been catching up. I had been hoping more would be in audio, but that's not to be, apparently. So much to read, but Aaron Elkins is near the top of my "must" list. Only one to go and then I will await the title next August.

I'm not really a golf person, but I love the Elkins' writing! The mystery was good, and they explained enough about the golf aspect to where I could appreciate it!

The latest in this delightful series by this husband and wife writing team, "On the Fringe" is well worth reading whether you are a golf fan, interested in the "Aristocrats of Hawaii" or just like mysteries in exotic settings.

Lee Ofsted, now a "Celebrity Pro" thanks to her unique win just months ago in South Carolina, has been asked to be the guest of a hi-faluting 100 year old Members Only golf club on The Big Island in Hawaii, by the man that taught her golf while she was in he army who is now the pro at this club.

Once there she finds out that her friend and mentor has been injured due to trying to stop vandals digging up the fairway looking for the lost symbol of the club, a gorgeous silver loving cup decorated with precious stones and a piece of lava sculpture from the volcano, Muana Loa which has been missing since the 1940s.

During the first "event" of the four day 100 Year Birthday Celebration in the castle-like club house, the club 92 year old club president is found bludgeoned to death.

Peg, Heroine Lee's best friend not only takes over running several of the programs of the celebration--those that Lee can get out of--she decides to research the club initiation oath and look for a secret passage in the old castle to find the missing loving cup.

Lee and her fiance`, Graham, had planned a simple wedding after the games of the birthday celebration are over, but she disappears before the end of the games!

A truly fun romp through the hi-jinks that golf afficiandos would enjoy, and a couple of neat mysteries to unravel on the way to (hopefully) a wedding. Do read it if you enjoy golf, Hawiian history or mysteries of any kind.