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The Case of Cabin 13 by Sam McCarver |
| (Signet, $5.99, V) ISBN 0-451-19690-2) |
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John Darnell is a college professor who investigates psychic phenomena. His goal is to prove that so-called psychic events can readily be explained by natural processes. In The Case of Cabin 13, Darnell is employed by the White Star Line to investigate suspicious deaths that have occurred on their ships. All of those who died were passengers booked in cabin 13. Darnell is asked to sail on the Titanic's maiden voyage and to stay in cabin 13, setting himself up as a possible target for the killer sabotaging the White Star Line.
My first thought when I saw the setting for this book – the Titanic – was that it should have some real dramatic possibilities. The whole story will have to take place in two and a half days (before the ship sinks) – assuming, of course, the author does not decide to rewrite history. In fact, the story takes a little longer, encompassing the rescue effort. Having the evil deed take place on a ship at sea does, indeed, provide a locked room setting. My hopes for an exciting story were, however, dashed. All of the action relating to the mystery takes place prior to the sinking of the ship, but the book itself continues on for another hundred pages. The plot was pretty mundane. This is not necessarily a major flaw since, in some books, the characters are so wonderful that the plot is really secondary. Unfortunately that was not the case here. The characters were pretty much standard soap opera caricatures. The hero was heroic, as was the heroine. The villain was evil. The supporting characters all liked the hero and heroine and were aghast at the villain's behavior. My main objection to The Case of Cabin 13 was that all the situations seemed melodramatic. When describing the victim of the villain on another ship, it is stated she could have been "thrown" – in italics – overboard. Or, the murders were "masquerading"– again in italics – as suicides. The last portion of the book, while marginally more exciting than the rest, had little to do with the main plot of the book. The hero had already exposed the evil doer, had discovered the motive for his crimes and had all but apprehended him when the ship began to sink. The details of the sinking of the ship are interesting but are really irrelevant to the major story line. I have never really been caught up in Titanic fever so I learned something about the disaster. But those readers who have an interest in the subject are probably already familiar with these details. According the cover, The Case of Cabin 13 is the first in a series featuring Professor John Darnell. Hopefully, in his next outing the author will put him in a situation where his talents can be more readily appreciated.
--Andy Plonka |
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