A bell rang when I opened the door on the first floor. I smelled the unmistakeable odor - Eau de Funeral Home. They all smelled like this, like rose petals marinating in formaldehyde. But the receptionist was something different. Green tie-dye shirt. Long white hair cascading over bony shoulders. She lowered the paperback she was reading - a murder mystery. I introduced myself. She smiled wickedly. "He's dying to see you." Before I could reply - if I could reply - she leaned back and threw her voice at the ceiling. "Bobby! She's here about the body!"
The Mountains Bow Down was my first introduction to Sibella Giorello and her protagonist, Raleigh Harmon. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm not a huge fan of thrillers unless I love the writing and I'm captivated by the characters.
A Bit of Background
In this case, Giorello scored on both counts. A seasoned journalist, she writes like a person with words under her belt. A native of Alaska with a geology background, she literally knew her scenery inside and out, and her detailed descriptions of life on a Princess cruise liner put me on board. We encounter life in the nightclubs and at the poolside, as well as the seemier action in the bowels of the ship. Warning for you gentler readers: Giorello accurately portrays crime and criminals with an unflinching eye.
Giorello's characters also don't disappoint. We see the world through the eyes of Raleigh Harmon, who has to be the only Christian FBI agent in literary history. This makes her interesting -- how does one balance a religious faith while packing a Glock? In this case, Raleigh's urge to seek justice has emerged from the senseless death of her father, whose shooting remains unsolved and whose death has left Raleigh bereft. Her unrelenting grief is the key to Raleigh's character, a hole in her heart that keeps others at bay -- even her fiancee, DeMott.
The Plot Thickens
Hoping to sort out her feelings about her upcoming marriage, Raleigh accepts two tickets for a cruise to Alaska from her Aunt Charlotte, a New Age guru who happens to be traveling with a movie crew filming on board the ship. Though Raleigh is supposed to be relaxing along with her mentally unstable mother, a much-needed break for both of them, Charlotte has gotten her a consulting job with the movie crew on the ship, helping the leading man, Milo Carpenter, accurately portray an FBI agent. Raleigh is annoyed to discover, however, that she's also sharing digs with her aunt's fellow mystic, Claire the Clairvoyant, a very silly character who is really the only mis-step in this novel.
The novel opens with the death of the leading man's wife, quickly ruled a suicide by the ship's head of security, but Raleigh is immediately suspicious of murder. She manages to get herself assigned to the case, and the complications pile up. Is the ship's head of security her ally or her enemy? Why was Judy Carpenter murdered and who did it -- her philandering, alcoholic, movie star husband, or somebody more sinister? How will Raleigh continue to shelter her faltering mother -- who's supposed to be having a quiet vacation -- and hide her real occupation from nosey Claire, who, like her mother, thinks she's just a forensic geologist?
And what about Jack, another agent assigned to the case? Raleigh encountered him in a previous novel and is none too happy when he shows up to assist her. However, Jack appears to have warmed up to her, and her respect for him grows as they work together to solve the crime. It doesn't hurt that he's a good-looking charmer, either, and that they make a great team. He's also there when her mother suffers a psychotic break, for which Raleigh blames herself.
Just a Few Questions
Giorello's economic use of language and spot-on dialogue make this novel a rapid read, and her characters make it a page-turner. Raleigh, especially, is a sympathetic character, tough and resilient, not afraid to mix it up with some intimidating antagonists, but suffering from palpable emotional pain as she watches her mother unravel. Giorello has done her research and made her main character a convincing member of the FBI, a by-the-book agent who still tries to write her own rules sometimes and pays for it. I only wish I knew more about her relationship with DeMott, who seems to get short shrift in this book. From Raleigh's perspective, he seems to be interfering in her life, but she's engaged to marry the guy. What gives?
Giorello also adds a wealth of interesting secondary characters to her story, from the taciturn head of security (my favorite!) to the over-the-top Hollywood movie cast (hey, some stereotypes are true). The only character I couldn't connect with was Claire. She plays a crucial part in the story, but her unrelenting goofiness didn't ring true for me. Was she supposed to be comic relief? I think a more nuanced portrayal of her might have helped ... crazy or not, she seriously believed she had a gift.
In Conclusion
I hate to admit this, but I do not read "Christian fiction" much. Most of it I find to be formulaic and preachy. That wasn't the case with Sibella Giorello's novel. Her portrayal of a woman trying to sort out herself and her circumstances and see through the eyes of her faith compelled me from beginning to end. I will read the next installment in Raleigh's life when it appears next year. It's refreshing to read a book about a Christian protagonist who isn't perfect, preachy, or -- forgive me -- Amish or aristocratic!
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
