Book Review: Limestone Gumption by Bryan E. Robinson
Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it.
When Big Jake Nunn, former football star and big man around the sleepy town of Whitecross, Florida dies while diving the limestone caves of the Suwannee River, suspicion naturally falls on the man who was supposed to be diving with him, psychologist Brad Pope. Brad, only recently returned to his hometown after years away getting an education and a reputation, had a motive for killing Big Jake, but he’s pretty sure he’s not the killer. Could it be his stubborn Grandma Gigi and her Women’s Preservation Club, who definitely have something secret going on? Or is it one of the other eccentric townsfolk?
This is the first fiction book by Mr. Robinson, but he’s written quite a few non-fiction books, and it shows in how polished the writing is for a first novel. The story flows well, the characters are interesting (a couple of them perhaps a little too colorful, but I’ve certainly met people like them before) and there were a couple of twists I didn’t see coming.
Brad Pope manages to be a quirky protagonist without going over the top; like many psychologist characters, he has a number of issues from his past, and secrets of his own, not all dark. The WPC take up a lot of the story with their eccentric ways, not the least of which is calling themselves “sisterfriends.” Several reviews have mentioned humor; I found relatively little of that, except perhaps of the observational type, plainly writing down the foibles of the neighbors.
I need to issue a Trigger Warning for rape and physical, verbal and emotional abuse in the backstory. One of the themes of the book is how the law enforcement around Whitecross has failed people, especially women. (Though the protagonists wind up taking advantage of the same sort of thing by the end.) There’s also some racism, including by the protagonist, to his shame when he realizes what he’s done.
The title refers to one character’s philosophy of life, which is first stated in a frontispiece to the story, but repeated several times within. There are several recipes, supposedly from the Women’s Preservation Club, in the back, along with some guided questions for book club use.
Some readers might find the eccentric small town characters a bit thick, but I quite enjoyed the book. Recommended for “cozy” mystery fans.
