Drown Her Sorrows
DETAILS: Series: Bree Taggert, #3 Publisher: Montlake Publication Date: March 15, 2021 Format: Hardcover Length: 304 pg. Read Date: March 15, 2022
What’s Drown Her Sorrows About?
A new deputy investigates a report about an abandoned vehicle and calls Bree for backup, the owner left her home three days earlier after a fight with her husband and hasn’t been seen since. He’s been waiting for her to cool down and hasn’t been worried about her—it’s not the first time this has happened. But given the state of her vehicle, the deputy and Bree fear the worst and begin searching the area. They soon discover the body of a woman who looks like she jumped off a bridge into the river—they presume it’s the missing woman, but can’t be sure because of the body’s condition.
Once it’s determined that the woman has been murdered—Bree and her investigator, Matt, get to work—was she killed by her husband? Was it her sister—driven by repeated disagreements on how to deal with their mother’s medical bills? Was it her temperamental boss with the shifty-looking business practices?
Throw in her continued adjustment to a domestic life and helping her niece and nephew process their grief, learning how to be the top banana in a Sheriff’s Department (including having to work with deputies that aren’t interested in doing things by the book; the beginning of a secretive romantic relationship with Matt who happens to work for the department as a consultant)—and you’ve got yourself a novel.
Chief Deputy Todd Harvey
Something that struck me in the last book, but jumped out to me here, and bugged me throughout—Leigh isn’t doing right by at least one of her supporting characters—Chief Deputy Todd Harvey. We’re told that Todd was one of the non-corrupt members of the department under the previous sheriff; he tried to do right by Matt during his troubles, and he’s been super supportive and helpful to Bree. He knows the area—and the politics—and yet he’s basically Detectives Ryan and Esposito—he’s around to deliver exposition, deliver timely information, get warrants, etc. That’s all.
There’s a pretty similar dynamic to Bree/Matt in the Walt Longmire books with Sheriff Longmire and his undersheriff, Moretti—those two are at the forefront of the cases, doing most of the work that the reader sees with other members of the department playing supporting roles. But even there, Saizarbitoria, Double Tuff, or even the new hire whose name escapes me at the moment, get to do more than deliver exposition or do behind-the-scenes work. If they appear in a book, there’s something that they bring to the story beyond delivering messages or warrants.
Ol’ Todd deserves better. Let him sit around and participate in the brainstorming. Let him handle an interrogation, or find the missing evidence, etc. Just give him any kind of storyline. Bree’s old partner, now housemate, serves a similar role on the homefront—and Leigh started to give her a story in this one, so I know it’s possible.
Series Timeline
We’re told that this book starts roughly four months after the murder of Bree’s sister. That doesn’t seem like enough time.
It may be about the right time frame for Bree’s niece, and you could argue that it’s about right for her older nephew. They’re still adjusting, still grieving, still trying to figure out how to behave in school, etc. But you mean to tell me that in four months, Bree’s closed two major cases (with one more underway), settled into her new job, started a (secret) romantic relationship, hired some new deputies, and is getting the runaround from elected officials about her budget? I just don’t buy it. That’s not enough time.
Another way to look at it is: you’re telling me the spate of murders in the last four months doesn’t have them throwing money at her to crack down on the crime stats?
Does this really affect me or my enjoyment of the book? Not really, but every time they bring it up I have to stop and think about it for a minute before shrugging and moving along. It’d be great if that part wasn’t necessary.
So, what did I think about Drown Her Sorrows?
This is another engrossing and entertaining read from Melinda Leigh. Once you get the setup for the novel, the pages just melt away. I always finish these faster than I expect to and am surprised when they end.
There’s something effortless in the prose and engaging about the characters and stories. Sure, I have quibbles and questions about some of Leigh’s choices after I put the book down. But while I’m reading (other than the Todd stuff), they don’t register with me, and I’m just wanting to find out what happens next and if I was right about the killer’s identity. The reveals are satisfying, the twists are well-delivered, and the herrings are just the right shade of red to keep you guessing.
These are fast and fun books, you should check them out. So far, these work as stand-alones or entries in a series, so you’re probably safe to jump in at any point.
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