St. Paul, Minnesota, 1939. The body of a beautiful dime-a-dance girl is found on a hillside, and Police Lieutenant Wesley Horner, struggling and ...
read full description
reviews
Sep 03, 2008
Becca
rated it: 
This was a very mixed book. On the one hand, Clark is stunningly good with a metaphor. There were some places where the writing in this book really blew me away. It's a full step above mystery novels generally, and it usually doesn't feel too pretentious either. Clark captures the feel of an old school noir mystery. I also love the idea of including the suspect's journal (although the "memory problems" are a little contrived}and Mr. White is a sympathetic and likable character despit
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Apr 11, 2008
David
rated it: 
Did he or didn’t he? Did hapless, memory-challenged Herbert White murder two of the dance hall girls that he worshipfully photographed in his rooms, or is he a perfect patsy - a sacrificial lamb doomed to suffer for another’s crimes? That is the question that pulls you into Clark’s evocative psychological suspense, a question that Mr. White himself could not tell you the answer to. Once immersed in Clark’s evocative depression era Midwest, a hard-edged world through which innocent and guilty
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 26, 2009
Marsha
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Feb 22, 2012
Emily
rated it: 
My grandad lent me this for the holidays - I was a bit skeptic, never having been a huge fan of murder mysteries, but I ploughed on through anyway.
The book alternates between traditional third-person narrative and extracts from the prime suspect's (Mr White's) journal. In general, I found the narrative to be beautifully written, albeit unbelievably gritty. Robert Clark really has some gorgeously subtle metaphors up his sleeve. However, the journal extracts were slightly more laborio More...
The book alternates between traditional third-person narrative and extracts from the prime suspect's (Mr White's) journal. In general, I found the narrative to be beautifully written, albeit unbelievably gritty. Robert Clark really has some gorgeously subtle metaphors up his sleeve. However, the journal extracts were slightly more laborio More...
Feb 22, 2011
Kirstie
rated it:
This was interesting...mainly delving into the corruption of the police in the 1940s era and it develops a story of murder and intelligence both. I think it's well crafted with a likable victim who has a hidden eloquence despite his limited life experience in many areas. At the same time, it's not the kind of novel that is life changing..just an enjoyable read overall. I especially loved the parts about photography and the protagonist is a very likable photographer...you can't help feeling so
More...
Jul 28, 2011
Athena
rated it:
I honestly didn't know what to think of this book. On one hand it was very well thought out and written, almost brilliant, but on the other hand it moved extremely slow and the point of the book seemed to drown in all the drama. The author's precision with details of a time after the stock market crash is impervious; the homeless people living down by a river, the food characters ate, the clothing worn, the appliances, everything was described perfectly. Herbert White is a clerk who was born wit
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Dec 18, 2009
Stven
rated it:
Five minutes into this, I was thinking, do I really have to read one more story about a mentally impaired guy who gets framed for somebody else's crime? And the answer was yes, I really did have to. It got better as it went along, and I think I'd have liked it better if I hadn't thought when I started it that it was a mystery novel. Why it got the Edgar Award for novel of the year is a genuine puzzle, but I admit that's probably what tipped me over into giving the book a try. It's a better n
More...
May 24, 2011
K.B.
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Mar 21, 2009
Steven
rated it:
Murder mysteries can be disturbing due to the murder in the story. This murder mystery is disturbing because of the travesty of justice subsequent to the murder. The story is set in 1939 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Mr. White is an innocuous man in his 30s who has a hobby of taking pictures of pretty dance hall girls. When one and then two of these dance hall girls are murdered circumstantial evidence leads to Mr. White's arrest, confession, conviction, and imprisonment. Now Mr. White suffers from a
More...
Feb 15, 2012
Pam
rated it:
I really enjoyed most of this book. Several dance club girls are found murdered in St Paul, Minnesota in 1939. The main suspect is an eccentric and simple minded man named Herbert White. Herbert’s hobbies are photography, writing in his journal, scrapbooking and visiting the dance club girls. He has trouble with his memory and tries to write everything down to help him remember his daily activities. The journal is very entertaining to read and his thoughts when written on paper contradict his ac
More...
Mar 05, 2011
Alison
rated it:
This book was more a character study than a mystery novel. Exploring Herbert White's and Wesley Horner's thoughts and inner feelings was clearly the author's main intent, while the "mystery" was a plot device. The villain was hardly hidden from the readers, and the main reason for turning the page was to discover what Wesley would do with the little knowledge he had.
I most enjoyed the 1930's setting, including the slang and expressions ("cheesecake", "right a More...
I most enjoyed the 1930's setting, including the slang and expressions ("cheesecake", "right a More...
Jan 08, 2009
Janice
rated it:
This was just ok. It was set in the 30s in St. Paul, which was good, but the plot relied too heavily on police corruption and brutality, and outdated stuff--like the main character didn't have a lawyer when he was on trial for murder, since it was before that was a law. But the main problem is that the book is one of these that combines literature with mystery, where neither is done well.
Jun 25, 2011
Kwoomac
rated it:
Now that I think about it, this book was very similar to The Green Mile but without the supernatural overtones. Cop reviews his involvement in imprisoning Mr. White for the brutal murder of some prostitutes. Of course, Mr. White didn't commit the crimes (another cop did, who later took his own life) but he likes the routine of prison life. Mr White is very simple and doesn't know or really care if he committed the crimes. In the Green Mile, Coffey didn't kill the little girl but he is ready to d
More...
Feb 03, 2009
Mike
rated it:
This is much more a character driven psychological study than a traditional mystery novel. The inner lives of the main characters take center stage while the investigation of crime becomes increasingly muddled and secondary to the main trajectory of the plot. I found it an enjoyable book, but I can see how a reader expecting a traditional mystery could be frustrated.
Oct 30, 2011
Peggy
rated it:
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, set in St. Paul, MN in 1939. It read almost like a movie - I could see the characters and action as if on a screen. The writing style is a bit different - written form the perspective of the 2 main characters who are diametrically opposed. It was very interesting and I recommend it.
Dec 10, 2010
Jean
rated it:
An interesting premise--Mr. White can't remember anything from his recent past, and is accused of a murder; therefore he cannot persuade anyone of his guilt or innocence. Just when it would almost hook me, it would drag on, or something would happen without good explanation. I won't be going back to this one.
Feb 06, 2009
Tina
rated it:
Mr. White's Confession was well-written and compelling. Character development was solid and entertaining, with enough narrative for the reader to feel in on the secret. The ending was somewhat unsatisfying in its lack of firm resolution, but I feel like Clark was trying to impart a message rather than solve the whodunit. I think he accomplished this, with eloquence.
Oct 09, 2007
I just picked this book off my shelf today, having read it nine years ago, and ended up flipping through it for an hour or so. I remember really liking it, really liking the mood and some of the sentences, and there were a couple of particular passages which I remembered as having a distinct power but which I was unable to find this time around. In my memory, I knew exactly where they were in the book and had some idea of what sort of feeling they created, but today I could not find them. Or I f
More...
Jan 21, 2008
Jeff
rated it: 
This was a surprisingly good novel. It was one of many I received in a package of used books, and as the others had been so bad, I had low expectations for this one.
However, it definitely snuck on me as great writing. Set originally as following the murder one woman in Minnesota in the 1930's, the story morphs into a series of reflections by the author on life, and specifically love and beauty in life. I found myself to be very sympathetic to the characters in the book, to be some More...
However, it definitely snuck on me as great writing. Set originally as following the murder one woman in Minnesota in the 1930's, the story morphs into a series of reflections by the author on life, and specifically love and beauty in life. I found myself to be very sympathetic to the characters in the book, to be some More...
Oct 14, 2011
Karrilin
rated it:
There must be a lack of decent book editors these days. The overuse of similes and the word "like" was incredibly annoying. While I felt some sympathy for Mr. White, I really could have cared less about the other characters.
Sep 07, 2009
Gail
rated it:
Didn't like the first fourth of the book but kept reading because it was set in St. Paul, MN, and because it was an Edgar Award Winner (Best Novel)...whatever that is. I soaked up the last half. Very interesting characters.
May 05, 2010
Chuck
rated it:
A different kind of murder mystery involving a suspect having
a sketchy short term memory. A good, artfully written book even with an anti climatic ending.
a sketchy short term memory. A good, artfully written book even with an anti climatic ending.
Jun 24, 2011
Jackie
rated it:
It was an interesting read, and kept you guessing. I was a bit disturbed by the 40 something detective having a relationship with a 16 year old.
Dec 20, 2008
June
rated it:
Flawless narrative paralleling the lives of a naive, endearing misfit with a memory problem and a lonely cop caught in a web of lies and corruption. These are real people in all of their complexity. A worthwhile read. (Not for the faint of heart. There are some sexually graphic passages.)
Jun 13, 2009
Dianne
rated it:
Overall, I liked it, but it seemed slow at times and I kind of stopped caring whether Herbert "did it" or not after a while.
Mar 22, 2011
Sue
rated it:
Quick read. I enjoyed this murder mystery set in the 1930's in Minneapolis. Quirky characters, interesting plot.
Jan 13, 2011
Peggy
rated it:
Complex. May be too literary for some readers and too non-linear for those who want simple linear plots.
Nov 24, 2009
Liz
rated it:
Good read that shows how it's really possible for mystery novels to be great literature.
