Taken by the Wind by Ellen Hart (Minotaur Books, 2013). $25.99; 336 pp.
Jack Lindstrom and Gabriel Born were cousins and best friends. The 12-year-olds did everything together, spent practically every night at one’s house and even liked the same things. Still, Jack’s two dads and Gabriel’s mom and stepdad were astonished when the boys apparently ran away together. Eric Lindstrom figured it was because he and his partner, Andrew Waltz, had recently split. Surely, Jack was acting out. But Gabriel’s mother Suzanne, didn’t understand why her boy went along with it.
Andrew called Jane Lawless, a practicing PI, as this supposed runaway was looking more sinister. And then the ransom note arrived.
Taken by the Wind is middling potboiler, a solid 5 on a 1-to-10 scale. Over the course of several books in this series, Jane Lawless has evolved into a fine PI with excellent skills of deduction and enough outside support to allow her to get the job done. I like Jane; she’s taciturn and smart, kind of a lesbian Columbo.
The mystery itself is decent and filled with just the right amount of keep-you-guessing, but it’s also filled with too many side-stories that feel like unnecessary padding. My interest waned more than once.
As mysteries go, I’ve read better and worse. Give it a whirl, but be forewarned: Taken by the Wind blows hot and cold.
— Terri Schlichenmeyer
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition May 16, 2014.