Time shifts to the present. An early morning shooting at the post office in Norris, Montana, has left two people dead – the postmistress and a patron. Postal inspectors Gillian Loomis and Max Dombrowski are sent to investigate.

The local sheriff is sure he knows the culprit. A local man had threatened the dead patron; the postmistress was probably shot to cover the other crime. The sheriff grudgingly gives what information he has. Since the murders occurred on federal property, the postal inspectors have jurisdiction.

Max is mainly on the scene for another reason; he has a secret agenda. Against his will, he has been assigned to the Internal Affairs department; his supervisor has information on him that jeopardizes Max’s career and very life. She wants him to get evidence that will allow her to fire Loomis. He dislikes his assignment but has no choice.

Gillian is a former Seattle police officer. An accidental shooting has left her emotionally vulnerable and estranged from her retired police officer father. Although required by her job to carry a weapon, Gillian is twice shy about having a gun on her person.

Max is supposedly the lead investigator, but he is impressed with Gillian’s skill. She quickly finds evidence that indicates the postmistress was probably the main target of the killer, not the patron. Dogged investigation leads them to the discovery that unmailed letters dating from 1918 had been found behind an old safe when the post office relocated a short time before the shooting.

How could mail from nearly a century before have led to this crime?

Readers who are familiar with Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt adventure stories will recognize the format of The Nature of Midnight. Some cryptic event in the past somehow leads to mysterious happenings today. Where this story differs is that no infallible superhero arrives to save the day nearly single-handedly. Being a deep sea explorer may seem to have more glamour than being a postal inspector, but Gillian’s and Max’s jobs are just as vital. Gillian and Max are hard-working, dedicated, and amazingly perceptive, but they’re also both deeply flawed. The problems they’re experiencing in their personal lives are almost as important in the story as the mystery they’ve been supposed to investigate.

Gillian is a particularly sympathetic character. She’s suffering from guilt and depression over the accidental shooting. It was ruled an accident, but she’s harder on herself than anyone else would be. She’s also an extremely perceptive investigator. She is supposed to be Max’s subordinate, but he recognizes her abilities enough to follow her lead. He wants to find an excuse not to report her infractions of the rules.

Max’s personal dilemma isn’t as convincing as Gillian’s. The reader knows early in the story that Max’s supervisor has something damaging on him that is creating his inner conflict and is forcing him to betray his principles. It’s only revealed late in the story what that is, but some circumstances aren’t fully explained. In general, Gillian is a more developed and believable character than Max.

Occasionally the plot depends on highly convenient coincidences, but overall it’s well-crafted and satisfyingly complex. The somewhat open-end conclusion to The Nature of Midnight hints at a sequel.

With its intriguing mystery and a good investigative team in Gillian and Max, this book deserves its recommended rating. Readers who are looking for a police procedural story with a twist would be well advised to seek out The Nature of Midnight.

--Lesley Lawrence