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Jeremy Ransom/Emily Charters #1
Presence of Mind
When veteran Chicago police detective Jeremy Ransom fails to crack his latest case--the murder of a man with no known enemies--he teams up with seventy-something Emily Charters, who believes she has the clue he needs to solve the crime
- GenresMystery
Hardcover
Published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 6, 2021
Really good. Held my interest thoughout, was even thought provoking as I would even think about it a bit when I wasn't actually reading. Details were described great especailly the impressions the main detective had of everybody. And there were quite a few everybodys-many characters yet written in a way that I could keep track of everyone. The plot was quite interesting... wasn't crazy about part of how it unfolded and sadly times have changed since this was written but that is just my personal aside.
April 26, 2026
found in the brooklyn central library at a “murders at the morgue” display - for “mysteries that have been lurking in library storage”. times have certainly changed since the publishing of this book, and i have a suspicion that how sexuality was handled as a topic may have been why the book was hidden away for a long time. the book is stamped “may 05 1995” whereas the book itself was published in 1994. being a hardcover book of that age, it appears to be largely untouched - pages were crisp and thick, and the slightly bolded serif font/leading makes for a great visual/tactile reading experience.
i enjoyed reading the book and would be interested in checking out more from the series. the unexpected partnership of a police detective who is self-confident and quick to make assumptions and an unassuming yet sharp-minded old lady balances out well, considering the amount of detail afforded when describing the successive murders, some of which are swift but violent. the writing (of characters, the environment, thoughts…) is definitely the star of the show and adds to the plot. descriptions of characters are in third person but always biased and told from a specific point of view, whether it be that of ransom, who is judgmental yet self-aware, or a murder victim facing their impending demise, or someone seemingly unrelated until their part is revealed (e.g. sara collins and newly-appointed detective robinson who discovers bodies under similar circumstances).
it was easy to put myself in the shoes of the characters as we jump between their points of view as the story progresses, like a ghost haunting or possessing its victims one by one. i feel the author leaning into the supernatural and spiritual in his writing as well, not only through creating a dim, eerie atmosphere for certain scenes, but also in relation to the topic of age and proximity to death. (even the title “presence of mind” and the cover art led me to think that way when i first picked the book out.) i appreciated emily (the old lady)’s perspective about life coming to an end as she lives long enough to send away her friends and family, in contrast with ransom (“in his late thirties and able to look back to the perils of youth and forward to the perils of age with equal clarity”) who is still in the midst and going through the motions of his life. a quote from ransom when he discusses emily with his younger partner gerald:
“i have a thing about age, you know. i realize that as you get older you change. you get little aches and pains and things, but i’ve never quite understood why some people seem to disintegrate, while others keep going. you know what i mean? some old people get old, and but by bit they stop functioning: they stop going out, or doing things themselves, or even trying. all they seem to do it complain. others keep going. others keep living into their eighties and nineties, and they remain vital, doing everything. i admire that. i really do. and i’m just certain it has to be the mind. it has to be that they choose to keep going.” i’m still young but i hope to be someone that chooses to keep going as i continue to age, despite the uncertainty.
other topics that i thought were interesting- the chicago performance art scene (reading the author’s bio and finding out that he’s a playwright makes a lot of sense), taboos of being a working artist having to make ends meet and how sexuality is viewed at the time, police procedurals and manpower allocation decisions within the legal system, the comparison between shakespeare and dickens…
i enjoyed reading the book and would be interested in checking out more from the series. the unexpected partnership of a police detective who is self-confident and quick to make assumptions and an unassuming yet sharp-minded old lady balances out well, considering the amount of detail afforded when describing the successive murders, some of which are swift but violent. the writing (of characters, the environment, thoughts…) is definitely the star of the show and adds to the plot. descriptions of characters are in third person but always biased and told from a specific point of view, whether it be that of ransom, who is judgmental yet self-aware, or a murder victim facing their impending demise, or someone seemingly unrelated until their part is revealed (e.g. sara collins and newly-appointed detective robinson who discovers bodies under similar circumstances).
it was easy to put myself in the shoes of the characters as we jump between their points of view as the story progresses, like a ghost haunting or possessing its victims one by one. i feel the author leaning into the supernatural and spiritual in his writing as well, not only through creating a dim, eerie atmosphere for certain scenes, but also in relation to the topic of age and proximity to death. (even the title “presence of mind” and the cover art led me to think that way when i first picked the book out.) i appreciated emily (the old lady)’s perspective about life coming to an end as she lives long enough to send away her friends and family, in contrast with ransom (“in his late thirties and able to look back to the perils of youth and forward to the perils of age with equal clarity”) who is still in the midst and going through the motions of his life. a quote from ransom when he discusses emily with his younger partner gerald:
“i have a thing about age, you know. i realize that as you get older you change. you get little aches and pains and things, but i’ve never quite understood why some people seem to disintegrate, while others keep going. you know what i mean? some old people get old, and but by bit they stop functioning: they stop going out, or doing things themselves, or even trying. all they seem to do it complain. others keep going. others keep living into their eighties and nineties, and they remain vital, doing everything. i admire that. i really do. and i’m just certain it has to be the mind. it has to be that they choose to keep going.” i’m still young but i hope to be someone that chooses to keep going as i continue to age, despite the uncertainty.
other topics that i thought were interesting- the chicago performance art scene (reading the author’s bio and finding out that he’s a playwright makes a lot of sense), taboos of being a working artist having to make ends meet and how sexuality is viewed at the time, police procedurals and manpower allocation decisions within the legal system, the comparison between shakespeare and dickens…
October 10, 2016
I enjoyed muchly!!!! The characters were so very real ---Emily is just like the grandmother you loved so very dearly --- the detective was very human and to relax he read Charles Dickens every night in the bath! Even though it was set in Chicago ---it seemed like it was a British mystery of manners. Hunter has a remarkable talent for small and telling details. A pleasure to read!! (This book had a reader’s survey in the back of it ---was already well over a year old but I filled it in, returned it and already received a new, free Fred Hunter book ---what a pleasant surprise!)
January 12, 2015
Fun initial book in a series introducing the characters of the policeman Jeremy Ransom and the elderly lady Emily Charters who he meets during an investigation of two apparently unrelated murders. Emily realizes the link between them and comes to him to let him know. The story line / mystery is a little far fetched but the writing is enjoyable. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
November 20, 2015
I was expecting a cozy, but it ended up being even better. It mainly follows the thought process of the police detective, Ransom. The novel really got into societies treatment and outlook on aging. It was a very good read. I recommend it.
January 10, 2014
Eh, a little self consciously written, still, I like Jeremy Ransom and Emily Charters.
February 22, 2016
Excellent writing and very enjoyable characters!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews