Driven - A Rita Mars Thriller (#1)

This book was recommended to me by my very good friend, Geoffrey Lapin, who happens to know the author personally.  He hadn't yet read the book, but he asked me to read it and provide my review of the book, so how could I say no?  I mean, after all, it's a mystery, it features a female protagonist, and with the last name "Mars" - eh, Veronica Mars, anyone?  I LOVED that show!  And better yet, I didn't even have to buy the book - Geoffrey sent me a copy as a gift.  So, I moved it to the top of my reading pile and dove right in.

Driven is the first Rita Mars thriller written by Valerie Webster, and, from what I gather, Ms. Webster's first published novel, period.  The postscript in the book indicates that book two is coming, so this novel is only the beginning of the series.  Webster does a wonderful job of giving us a different kind of sleuth.  Rita Mars is not your typical private investigator.  She's a former investigative reporter turned P.I., with a secretary named Beverly Hills (more on her later!), who lives in the country but maintains an office in the Washington, D.C. area.  She carries a lot of baggage - from an alcoholic father who killed himself to a line of disastrous relationships - but when she sets her mind to something, nothing and no one can stop her until she finds what she is looking for!  In a word - she is driven!

The mystery is a rather topical one - it involves a considerable amount of behind-the-scene deals within the government, on a very high level, that could very well be (and most likely is!) going on in the real world.  Only, in this mystery, the stakes are high enough that someone is willing to kill to keep their secrets from coming out.  What I did find a bit odd was that the mystery opens with Rita Mars going to visit a fellow journalist with whom she used to work alongside - but instead of finding him waiting for her, she finds him dead!  That's not the odd part, though.  With such a cryptic, shocking opening, I was expecting the mystery to focus on who killed Bobby Ellis and what story was he working on that was important enough that someone would kill him; however, the story suddenly moves over to a woman who comes to Rita's detective agency for help - her ex-husband is stalking her and threatening, and she is afraid for her life.  Rita reluctantly takes the case, and soon enough finds herself a target of the ex-husband, who is an ego-maniac that loves to play games and loves to prove he can get away with anything!

So, that begs the question - is this mystery about the death of Bobby Ellis, or is it about the stalking of Karin Van Dreem?  Well, ultimately, it turns out to be about both.  And before you think this is just like a Nancy Drew mystery, where the two very different mysteries suddenly merge and become one greater mystery, don't go there.  This is definitely not Nancy Drew, and the two mysteries are wholly separate monsters all on their own.  Both mysteries put Rita's life in danger, and while with one mystery the killer's identity is unknown and with the other he's plain as day but seemingly untouchable, they both require Rita's utmost investigative skills to solve.  Unfortunately for Rita, one of them nearly lands her in jail, while the other nearly lands her in trouble with the FBI.

I do have to say that I really loved the various supporting characters in the book.  Beverly Hills (f/k/a Charles Tyrell Wheatly) is ex-military and a darned good office assistant who handles all of Rita's administrative work.  She also happens to be a caring person who looks out for her boss (literally!) and is not some stereotypical black man in drag.  Loretta Mondieu is Rita's neighbor out in the middle of nowhere who suffers with Alzheimer's - so she is always meeting her for the first time.  But she's not completely out of it, because she definitely recognizes the devil when she sees him!  Captain Smooth is actually Mary Margaret Smooth (and yes, that IS her name), and she is "the tallest 5'6" cop in the city" (p. 10).  She's Rita's life-long friend and is Rita's go-to person when she needs help.  It truly is a diverse, unique supporting cast that actually melds nicely with Rita's personality and act-before-you-think nature.  I give Webster kudos for fleshing out each of the supporting members of the cast throughout the story, yet leaving so much unknown about each of them to explore in future books.

Now, as I said, the book deals with a lot of political intrigue that, honestly, is likely going on in our government today.  One statement Rita makes early on the story pretty much sums up the reality of today's political climate in America - "...put a face on TV enough, and, bingo, sheep are gonna follow" (p. 32).  Definitely a sad statement of truth regarding the general populace in the United States today.

When all is said and done, the book is a very satisfying read, even if the secondary story involving Karin Van Dreem seems a bit superfluous.  But, then again, what private investigator in real life only works on one case at a time?  I guess it is a bit more realistic that Rita would need to work on a paying client's case while also trying to work on her own personal case (for which she is not getting paid).  Now let's see what Webster has in store for Rita Mars in book two...

RATING:  8 peanut butter and strawberry preserves sandwiches out of 10 for introducing Rita Mars to the world in an engaging first novel!