ALL THAT SMOLDERS: A Mystery

All That Smolders by James Sulzer is a crime mystery with a finely drawn setting, a propulsive conflict, and unforgettable characters. Set in 1980 on the Island of New England, the story introduces a community of locals with different lifestyles and occupations. It is peaceful until a prominent lawyer is murdered. Peter Christie is a reporter for the Island Forum who has arrived on the island for a new start, and he becomes utterly invested in the murder case while developing a romance with Haddie Danville. The story opens with the shocking death of Quentin Douglas, a reclusive and wealthy man who had been digging up buried treasure—bags of gold and silver—in his yard. The investigation reveals a web of family secrets, illicit affairs, and possible motives rooted in greed and revenge. As Peter digs deeper, he encounters a cast of intriguing characters, including family members, residents, and outsiders, each with their own motives, secrets, and connections to the crime. The plot thickens with cryptic poems, suspicious messages, and hidden family histories, all hinting that the truth is buried beneath layers of deception and history.

There is a lot to savor in this crime thriller, and I will start with characterization. James Sulzer creates complex, genuinely flawed characters. Peter stood out from the cast as one eaten up by a sense of regret; his dedication to solving the crime is a form of redemption, a kind of comeback for him. He has to prove to himself that he can do it. The story is skillfully executed in the first narrative voice, and it pulls you in from the get-go. The picturesque, windswept island has a long history rooted in New England’s maritime culture, and the setting is written with fascinating details, giving readers a strong sense of time and place. Quentin Douglas’s opulent estate can be seen as a symbol of wealth and eccentricity, surrounded by lush lawns, towering elms, and a rugged coastline that hides secrets beneath its foggy shroud. The island’s small-town community is tightly knit, with generations of families, old traditions, and a slow, deliberate pace of life that contrasts sharply with the dark undercurrents of greed and betrayal. You’ll be enticed by the scalloping in the harbor, the old wooden homes, and the natural landscape, with pine forests, tidal creeks, and rocky shorelines, which provide a vivid backdrop that enhances the story’s mystery and mood. All That Smolders features a tangled plot, a conflict that moves the story forward, and characters that stick with you.