Fred Fellows #04 - Born a Victim

Here's what we know about Fred Fellows, the protagonist of 11 crime-fiction novels by Hillary Waugh, a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master. He is the Chief of Police in the fictional city of Stockford, Connecticut. His right-hand man is Detective Sergeant Sidney Wilkes with back-up assists in the stories from Sergeants Unger and Gorman. He likes milk and sugar in his coffee. I gained these significant details from reading the series first two installments, Sleep Long, My Love and Road Block.  I don't have the series third installment at the time of this writing so I had to jump ahead to the fourth book, Born Victim (1962). The order you read these books plays no part in the storytelling. 

In Born Victim, I discovered that Fellows has a wife named Cecilia, sons named Peter and Larry, and two daughters (no names provided in this book). The author makes note that Peter is age 13, which adds a personal connection. The plot for the book has Fellows and his men challenged with the disappearance of a 13-year old girl. 

In prior books Waugh would title each chapter a date and time of the investigation. In this novel he has elected to standardize the chapters numerically. The first chapter kicks off the story with Fellows receiving a call from his officers that Barbara Markle, the aforementioned girl, hasn't returned home in a few hours. Fellows initially dismisses the sense of urgency and importance due to the child only appearing to be tardy for a curfew - not a revelation of murder or malicious intent. He goes out to visit Barbara's mother Evelyn to gain any insight on the girl's disappearance.

Evelyn lives on a poor stretch of suburbia backed up to a river. She's a single mom that works long hours. Her response to various questions is alarming - she acts as if Barbara is already dead. Fellows can't quite grasp why the mother is assuming the worst. Over the course of several interviews Fellows learns that Barbara's family history is murky. As more and more time passes without the girl's return the case evolves from locating the girl to solving a homicide. 

Waugh's novels follow a standard formula of introducing the crime, typically murder, and then taking the readers along the police procedure of investigating every tip, clue, and piece of evidence. The running theme behind the girl's disappearance runs from dates for the dance to a mysterious truck idling beside her house. But, the focus of the investigation, which ties into the book's title, is Barbara's murky family history. Evelyn's secrecy on who Barbara's father is, a faked marriage, and a family dynasty in jeopardy of exposure. 

An aspect of the series debut was conflict with the press. Fellows often battles press leaks and aggressive reporters that seem to infiltrate his office. This novel touches on the police providing the public with details but not allowing the press to pressure his men. There is also a rare occurrence where Fellows loses his cool on one of his officers. Typically Fellows is level-headed and keeps an air of professionalism. As the case presents more challenges the pressure to find the girl's whereabouts - dead or alive - begins to weigh on his shoulders.  

Born Victim was another fantastic police procedural installment. Hillary Waugh has a knack for this style of storytelling and draws the readers into the investigation smoothly. It's an easy reading experience that delivers a few surprises and an emotional ending. The characters are interesting and persuasive, the crime is compelling, and the prose is ultra-tight and plot-propulsive. In other words, track down a copy of this one. Highly recommended. 

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