Murder At The Olympiad by James Gilbert
What's It About?
“Do you know what it’s like to hear laughter all around you when you’re bleeding inside?”“Do you know what it’s like to hear laughter all around you when you’re bleeding inside?”
In Murder at the Olympiad (Atmosphere Press), New York Times notable author James Gilbert peels back the veneer of a tourist destination on the Mexican Riviera to follow the inner workings of an ongoing murder investigation. An American tourist is found strangled in a gay spa with a bad reputation; the desire for a speedy and simple resolution hampers the efforts to identify the true killer. As lies, half-truths and complex motives come to light, an idealistic consul general discovers that peace and justice in the city she loves are precariously balanced on questionable principles of right and wrong.
When American consul general Amanda Pennyworth learns the details of a suspicious death at the Olympiad spa in Puerto Vallarta, she is unconvinced by the theory that Jeremy Blackman was simply the victim of a robbery gone wrong. Held at a distance by the pompous Captain Gonzalez of the local police, Amanda finds that there is very little she can do to help uncover the truth. But a junior officer of the police brigade, Sergeant Perez, lets Amanda in on more details than he should, renewing her determination to get to the truth behind the murder. The unlikely pair of investigators confront multiple suspects, learning that “everyone has their secrets.” In Perez’s experience, “things hidden were the most dangerous and revealing of all.”
COMPLEX CHARACTERS IN A BEAUTIFUL AND DARK SETTING
As consul general, Amanda also faces the sensitive task of notifying Jeremy’s estranged parents of his death and preparing for the complicated matter of the body’s transfer. Reunited for the first time since their divorce several years earlier, Ed and Nora Blackman embody the opulence, arrogance and selfishness that some consider to be the hallmark of Americans venturing abroad. They arrive in Puerto Vallarta and promptly make Amanda’s life a living hell as their demands come to land squarely on her shoulders. Initially, the Blackmans are little more than a caricature, but as they experience various stages of grief over losing their only son, they are portrayed in a more compassionate manner: Nora is unable to leave her hotel room, and Ed puts his business affairs on hold to mourn the loss of his son. Despite their flaws, these characters come to elicit sympathy in the reader.
Gilbert’s most notable accomplishments in this novel are in rendering the setting of Puerto Vallarta and creating complex characters. The city is at once beautiful and dark, inviting yet threatening. The tourist zones, vibrant colors and lively entertainment are the visible surface of a place that hides many dark secrets and a potential for violence. Gilbert also gives us characters with many layers, as noted for the Blackman’s previously. Protagonist Amanda has moments of dedication and righteous courage tempered by self-doubt and misgivings about her role in the larger workings of the city. She swings from chapter to chapter between her duty to the state and a responsibility to the more human side of the crime and the family of the victim. Pompous though he may be, Captain Gonzalez shows incredible loyalty to his country and his duty as a police officer, even if that means sacrificing the truth to uphold what he sees as a favorable resolution to the case.
GILBERT’S THEMES ELEVATE HIS MURDER MYSTERY
While the murder investigation is central to the plot, later portions of this book explore additional themes that elevate Murder at the Olympiad to a tier above the run-of-the-mill mystery novel. Amanda’s role as consul general provides a great opportunity for the author to explore the subject of diplomacy. Gilbert illustrates the complicated matter of representing relations between two neighboring countries that are often at odds on important geopolitical issues. The story also depicts how immense forces of government and politics can grind out the human lives that stand at odds with larger motives or threaten to topple fragile agreements of peace. As Amanda’s superior explains, “Our task is to cover up disputes, smooth things over, smile even when we are compromising our principles and personal beliefs.”
With Gilbert’s vivid details and nuanced characters wrapped in the enticing envelope of a mystery novel, Murder at the Olympiad ventures beyond the suspense of the average whodunit to craft an impressive work of literary fiction.
