All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming

All Mortal Flesh Julia Spencer-Fleming  Mystery    2006 Rating: A

All Mortal Flesh is one of those keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat reads that will make you want to shut the door and lock you life out while you read it.  Each one of the books in this series manages to be different from the others and yet carry on the underlying storyline of Russ and Clare's tortured, guilt-ridden love for each other.  I was very impressed by the craft with which Spencer-Fleming wrote book #3, Out of the Deep I Cry, but it did not grip me and keep me like All Mortal Flesh did.  

The book begins with Russ in mourning - he's grieving his relationship with Clare.  At the end of To Darkness and To Death , Russ decides to come clean to his wife Linda about his feelings for Clare and hope for the best.  When this book opens, it's clear the best has not occurred.  Linda has not taken it all in stride, Clare has tried, for both their sakes and the sake of her flock, to sever their friendship, and Russ is now living at his mom's house while Linda and he try to work something out.  It's messy and depressing, but not as messy and depressing as it's going to get for Russ.  Because while he is bunking at Mom's, Linda's body is found, brutally murdered and defaced.  And it doesn't take long for everyone in the Sheriff's department to realize who would benefit the most from Linda's death - her estranged husband, Russ and his other love, Clare.  

The story takes place over a very brief period of time, a few days, but within those few days, most of what Russ thinks he knows about his life, his wife, his staff, and his friends will come into question.   No one in the sheriff's department really thinks Russ killed his wife, but the evidence points his way, and it's clear that if Russ leads the investigation, any action will begin to be seen as attempts to cover up what really happened.  Unfortunately for Russ everyone around his has his own primary concern and many of those concerns do not dovetail with what would be best for the sheriff personally.  Before long Russ is going down in a sea of small town and police politics, and, Clare is the only person he trusts to help clear him.  

Clare, though, is hurting too and enmeshed in her own ecclesiastical politics.  Her relationship with Russ has caused concern to her religious superiors and now she has a deacon to babysit her and make sure she stays out of trouble.  (As if one deacon could ever be enough to keep Clare from jumping into peril with both feet to help Russ.)

The above description gives All Mortal Flesh the short shrift, I'm afraid, and I can't say much more without going into spoiler territory.  Suffice it to say that each time the reader makes an assumption about what is going on, Spencer-Fleming cleverly reveals a different truth.  Characters we have seen in previous books get more fleshed out here.  We see them pursuing their own agendas and reacting differently to Linda's death and Russ's trouble.  The political maneuvering of the various police officers is particularly interesting as they jockey for power and position.  And the book ends with an additional twist that will impact future books in this series in yet unpredictable ways.  

Russ and Clare are still the kinds of protagonists that the reader can't help but root for, especially in this their hour of need.  While the situation they find themselves in is messy, they continue to try and be honest and honorable.  I found myself hurting for Russ in ways I was surprised at.  No one person should have to go through all of this feeling as alone as he does.  

I'm afraid to say more as it might take away from the reader's enjoyment of seeing events here unfold for herself.  I will say, though, that this was the most engaging book I've read in 2008 by far.  I wanted to bundle my son up and shove him and my husband out of the house while I was reading it - just, just...out.  Away.  So I could fully concentrate and read.  Love ya, but -  Bye. 

I haven't felt that way about a book in a good long time.  It was wonderful.  Wonderful book.  Wonderful series.  More, more, more, please.

tags: books  mysteries  julia spencer fleming