Fiction Books
The Wind Knot
by John GalliganEdition: Paperback
A working definition of Wind Knot spelled out in Galligan's latest mystery is - A knot caused by bad casting... blamed on the wind.
But, sometimes it is the wind. In other words, homicide may result from forces outside of the caster's control. Good luck getting anyone else to believe the "wind caused it." And that's the situation which Galligan's latest mystery has placed our trout-bum, Dog.
The setting for The Wind Know is the famous Two Hearted River. (The river protraited in Ernest Hemingway's short short Big Two-Heared River.) Galligan turns the classic stream's reputation on its head. Instead of a cleansing-of-the-soul, Dog gets his back-side drilled with a load of rock-salt. And for his troubles, he's arrested as the prime suspect in the murder of the UP's top outfitter. For loyal followers of "the Dog," be prepared to suffer. (He spends much of the story face down and that's all I say.)
Another convention Galligan does an ice-dance with is the character of the small town law enforcement. How about a lesbian who likes to fish dry files as the lead sheriff? Works for me.
The writing takes on various contemporary issues such as water in the Southwest - or the lack of it. In a side-story, a character named "Danny Tervo" hatches a business around trucking water from the Great Lakes down to a Japanese gardener in Arizona. My favorite take - Galligan's creative solution for keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. Think "skeet-carp."
The mystery is littered with an equal measure of dead-bodies and colorful characters. The author skillfully crafts his characters with each passing chapter. The result - each personality is uniquely entertaining. John Galligan represents a fresh, playful and energetic storyteller who convinces us that the knot in the leader was caused by the wind.
The Wind Know makes for some fun Summer reading. Here's to Dog's full recovery and a full stock of vodka/Tang in the old Cruise Master in the near future.
