In an era of CSI and NCIS where solving crimes has been raised to a technological art form, “The Murder Farm
” takes forensic science several notches down while still giving readers the adrenaline rush associated with investigating violent crimes.
Like the modern cop dramas, the book starts with a shock – a whole family was murdered in their farm with a pickaxe: Old farmer Danner, his wife, their daughter Barbara, their two grandchildren and their maid.
The setting was rural post World War II Germany, during the 1950s. So, instead of the equivalent of D.B. Russell or Leroy Jethro Gibbs rushing to the scene, the investigator (the narrator in this case), did not learn about the crime after it was in the papers and the victims were already buried.
In a series of interviews interspersed with religious diatribes, we learn about the victims and how the crime was committed. The pacing is slow, in tune with the 1950s way of life; but the adrenaline rush associated with cop dramas was there.I can’t turn the pages fast enough! Thank goodness that this is a novella so I was able to finish the book in one sitting. And once I was done, I had the same satisfied feeling watching the BAU of “Criminal Minds” solve a case!
The Murder Farm is Rated M for Mature due to violence.
