“The Guise of Another” by Allen Eskens – Identity Trail

It seems that for one reason or another war veterans don't fare all that well in the world of literature. More often than not they are traumatized by what they've experienced, are alcoholics, down-on-their-luck, with the whole wide world pressing down against them.

And yet they make for some of the best heroes, the unlikeliest of underdogs who go against the grain regardless of whether or not they will end up winning. In The Guise of Another by Allen Eskens we have the pleasure of following Alexander Rupert, that kind of war veteran, on a rather strange path to redemption.

The book opens with the murder of a man named James Putnam, as a Lexus slams right into his Porsche. Alex winds up on the case which turns out to be more and more complicated every step of the way.

As he follows clues all the way to New York and the Midwest, a complex case of stolen identity turns into something increasingly sinister, involving corporate corruption, a flash drive with some priceless information, and a despicably-ruthless assassin from the Balkans who spent the last few years in search of Alex for some good old-fashioned revenge.

Compared to Esken's first novel, The Life We Bury, this one is more of a straightforward murder mystery that mostly sticks to the rules. We follow Alexander, and at times his brother Max, who is a detective (albeit a much more respected one), in a rather straightforward manner as they unroll the investigative thread an inch at a time.

As clues keep on coming on more and more questions keep on arising, and while it certainly isn't The Read-Headed League, it does challenge the reader fairly well. The conclusion is rather exciting and makes for a worthy closing act, an aspect in which many other murder mysteries seem to err.

The story itself advances at a rather quick pace and only lets up momentarily for bits and pieces of characters development and setting construction. Needless to say, when you have on your hands the type of book where the brunt of the focus is placed on the progression of the case and the main story, there won't be all that much room left to make compelling characters. However, Eskens did a rather good job at ensuring all of them have a minimum of complexity, being unique and recognizable in their own ways.

Anyhow, the multiple story threads are more than interesting enough to watch unfold on their own, making us anxious for that magic moment when they are all weaved into one. The atmosphere is fittingly dark, though there are a few moments that will make fans of black humor chuckle.

All in all, this second novel by Allen Eskens is a solid entry into the world of books, telling an interesting and multilayered murder story at a very quick pace, with plenty of twists and turns and even a couple of pretty big surprises along the way.

If you are a fan of story-driven murder thrillers, then you are certainly going to love this book.

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Allen Eskens Personal site Allen Eskens is a writer whose first novel was The Life We Bury, with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Minnesota. In 2015 he was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American Author. His grand goal is to give readers novels that challenge their creative thinking with magnificent twists but also respect them with intellectual honesty and appreciation.