Of Deadly Descent By G. G. Vandagriff Deseret Book, 1996. Trade paperback: 238 pages. ISBN: 1-57345-167-3 Suggested retail price: $11.95 (US) Audience: Older teens and adults
Reviewed by: Jeff Needle

Plot Summary

Alexandra Campbell (called Alex) and Brighamina Poulsen (called Briggy) have founded a company called Rootsearch, Inc. Specializing in genealogical research, they find themselves in England looking for the identity of an AWOL American soldier of WWII vintage. Suffering from amnesia, he may have assumed an identity and married. Now, a large inheritance is due his heirs, and it is Rootsearch's job to find his rightful heirs. To add to the suspense, it is possible that this man is a cousin of Alex's.

Their search takes them back and forth between England and France as they try to untangle a genealogical mystery involving several families. Along the way we learn about Alex's recent conversion to the Church, how the gospel played a role in dealing with the death of her husband, and Briggy's place as spiritual guide during this difficult time.

Opinion

Although not an unpleasant read, the book suffers from some important drawbacks.

1. Of Deadly Descent is the second in what looks like a continuing series of genealogical mysteries. Admittedly, this is new ground, and it is good that someone is taking this on. But this volume depends a bit too much on the previous entry. Elements of dialogue are so dependent on the first book that they are rendered almost indecipherable. At one point, Alex is talking with her mother on the telephone. The mother asks:

"Have they caught the murderer yet?"

"No. Not yet. But I think we're a little closer."

"Don't do anything foolish, dear. I keep remembering ..."

"Nothing like that's going to happen this time. I'm taking good care of myself. How are you feeling?"

We're never given an insight about what mother keeps remembering! I would guess she's referring to something that happened in the first volume. Perhaps this is a way to get us to purchase the first book. Either way, it's poor form.

2. In several places, the dialogue seems just a bit overwrought. Granted that Alex is recovering from the death of her husband. This does not prevent her from pursuing several love interests in Europe, although not concurrently (that would be scandalous). Her feelings toward these men seem a bit Harlequin-like; her reactions evoke the most remarkably overstated prose. An example: Alex has witnessed a young woman being killed in an accident outside her Oxford hotel. She runs into the hotel and calls for the clerk to summon an ambulance. The excerpt --

The desk clerk reached for the telephone. "Perhaps you should take a chair, Mrs. Campbell. You look as white as a sheet."

Following his suggestion, she seated herself in an enormous wing chair. Her knees were quaking. Sudden death affected her this way. The world was tilting, wildly off balance. Fear tore through her consciousness like wildfire: there was no one in charge of the universe. Chaos and confusion reigned unchecked. There was nothing to stop them.

You see what I mean.

3. If there was one constant problem throughout the book, it is the lack of character definition. When I was done with the book, I really didn't feel like I knew the characters. Part of the problem is the sheer number of peripheral people populating the story, people that could easily have been eliminated. But aside from that, the characters are not well defined. I had a hard time closing my eyes and imagining what these people looked like. And in the end, I found it difficult to really care what happened to any of them. Caring about the characters is really essential if the series is to have any longevity.

Now, on the positive side, I think several themes were handled very well.

1. LDS fiction, particularly those books released through the "respectable" presses (Deseret, Bookcraft) tend to be a bit preachy and, in some cases, lean toward simple solutions to very complex problems. (I recognize that LDS fiction is still a new genre; I look forward to more complex and challenging fiction from these presses in the near future.) "Of Deadly Descent" is neither. Alex manages to present the Gospel to one of her love interests, but there is little response. And there is no indication that joining the Church is the answer to any of their problems. She acknowledges that the Gospel helped get her through a tough time, but she carries it no further than that. This, in my opinion, is admirable.

2. Vandagriff managed to write an LDS novel in which little is said about the Church, the faith, etc. In fact, other than casual references to the Gospel (and constant, just short of irritating repetition of the Word of Wisdom), there's little connection. It's not enough to think that genealogy is inextricably tied to the Mormon Church -- many non-members are involved in such research. In making Mormonism a minor player in the book, the author may have made the book more accessible to non-LDS readers.

Summary

Older teens and adults will enjoy this book. It is a fun read, and despite the shortcomings, keeps you guessing to the end "who done it." One particular surprise is how the author deals with Alex's final love interest. I thought this part was well done.

I'll be interested in seeing the next volume in the series. It is to be hoped that each volume will be less dependent on the previous. It is also to be hoped that the characters of Alex and Briggie take on clearer definition, while maintaining an interesting story-line.

Jeffrey Needle

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