Rating: 7

I recently met Torres online over at Crimespace a couple of weeks after I’d received this book from Dorchester. Having done so, I was eager to start reading DEATH IN PRECINCT PUERTO RICO and I put it at the top of the pile.

It wasn’t my favorite read this year, but it was refreshing to read a pure mystery set in the present. And it should have been a faster read for me. I’ve been beyond busy the last couple of weeks, so I’m cutting myself some slack.

If I had to complain about this book, I’d pick two things. First, there were too many characters to keep straight… between four or five deputies, a couple of lawyers, a menagerie of suspects. It was too much and I had a hard time remembering who was who.

Second, instead of employing a carriage return—or new chapter—to indicate a scene transition, the book simply carried on to the next. This may not be the fault of the author, however. In any case, I found myself re-reading parts to make sure I understood what was happening.

On the flip, Torres has an affection for his protagonist, Sheriff Luis Gonzalo, and knows this character well. Plot’s important, but it means nothing without characters we care about. Torres nails this down from the outset.

On the whole, though, this book worked and I’d read other stuff from Torres.