Sunday, January 10, 2010

By Reviewed by David and Nancy Beckwith

"The Magnolia Triangle"

by Joe Lee

Dogwood, $22.95

Fictional book series typically share a set of common characters or a common story, setting or time line. Series are an especially common vehicle for crime fiction.

Some series such as the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew or James Bond can be read in any order. This is possible because each book, for the most part, stands alone and makes few meaningful references to past events.

Some series have the characters go through life changes and make occasional references to past events, such as Tony Hillerman's Jim Chee series, Robert Parker's Spenser series or Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt books. In some cases, such as the Harry Potter series, the books truly should be read in order to be fully enjoyed.

Then there are series that are actually one story, but the story is so long that the author needs multiple books to tell it properly. "The Lord of the Rings" or the "Left Behind" series come to mind. Some series such as "The Chronicles of Narnia" jumble the time frame by jumping forward or back as the series progresses.

"The Magnolia Triangle" is the newest installment in Joe Lee's Oakdale series. The first book in the series was "Judgment Day," whose characters do not overlap with those in the latest one. The Oakdale books therefore can be read in any order. They have one thing in common - location. Oakdale, Mississippi, is a small, rural, ordinary north Mississippi town with more than its share of secrets. Mature readers may think it reminiscent of another famous New England small town immortalized in the 1956 novel, "Peyton Place."

In the first book in the Oakdale series, Lee introduces a football coach with a secret, some not-so-graceful, aging football players, alcoholic hairdressers and crazed, crooked cops, an improbable collection of misfits that becomes the basis of a plausible, well-developed story of grudge and revenge.

In "The Magnolia Triangle" (Lee's fourth novel and second in the Oakdale series), widowed socialite Sherry Rutledge is found dead in her pool by her oldest daughter, Nancy. The initial suspect is Sherry's younger daughter, Caitlyn, who admits visiting her mother the evening of her death. The focus of the case changes direction when a neighbor's 8-year-old daughter reports her version of the night's activities.

Before this fast-paced thriller is over, the stories of three dysfunctional families have their secrets exposed to a small southern town where everyone wants to mind everyone else's business. Murder, bribery, kidnapping and sex in this page-turner keep the reader guessing about the next twist up to the very end.

As was the case in "Judgment Day," one of the book's strengths is Lee's character development. This long list of dysfunctional characters includes the aforementioned Sherry, cruel society matriarch, and Nancy the ruthless and unbalanced daughter, plus James, the guilt-ridden businessman; Melanie, his zoned-out wife; Caitlyn, the fragile jock; Keller, the overwhelmed half man/half boy; Eddie Ray, a victim of his own hormones; and Daphne the desperate.

For most of the 20th century, Mississippi authors have captivated the nation's attention by introducing plots that highlight and expose the decadence of the new South. Many have become some of the most popular writers in the nation: Tennessee Williams, Eudora Welty and William Faulkner, in particular, won wide acclaim and numerous awards for their portrayal of the darker side of small-town southern life. Modern Mississippi writers such as Kathryn Stockett ("The Help") and Joe Lee carry on the rich literary tradition.

Joe Lee certainly should have the tools to understand the society he writes about. He is a native Mississippian who has lived most of his life in Jackson or Starkville. He is married to another native Mississippian from the coastal town of Bay St. Louis. He is a communications graduate of Mississippi State who has worked in journalism, radio and television. His wife Leslie, the special assistant attorney general for the Mississippi attorney general's office in Jackson, is a major resource for his books.

Lee often lectures at journalism classes. His advice to writers is worthwhile to note.

"Don't be shy about expressing yourself on paper. Solicit the opinions of as many teachers, professors and fellow writers as you can who'll read your work. Read as many other writers as possible, because this provides a variety of perspectives and will inspire your own writing. Whatever you do, don't take no for an answer when the time comes to shop your work. Remember that every successful writer has a cabinet full of rejection letters. All it took was one person believing in them. Find that person."

Wise words from a fellow Mississippian.