Spring Melt
This courtroom drama takes place in the 1920s Adirondack town of Saranac Lake, center of logging and hiking and a refuge for wealthy sufferers of TB. Ella Devine’s doctor husband caters to socialites afflicted by this disease: those who can afford his fees and value his discretion.
When three men are charged with a death that occurred nineteen years earlier, the long-concealed rape Ella suffered as a child is exposed, disrupting her bland, superficial marriage and becoming national news. Chapters alternate between Ella, the prosecutor’s team, and the defense lawyer for the accused men. Henry Roth’s death was treated as an accident at the time, but now questions are raised. What led up to his death, and where does the blame lie? The reader cannot be certain, and often neither can those involved, making this a page-turner as it raises questions of truth and justice. Evidence emerges of Saranac Lake’s lawless past, particularly toward the local Mohawk Indians.
Lori Duffy Foster is a master of suspense and courtroom details, having worked as a crime reporter herself. Adding to the appeal of her novel are the lush descriptions of the Adirondacks, beautiful yet potentially dangerous due to the dense vegetation. It’s not uncommon for hikers to stray slightly from the trail in the wilderness and be lost forever. After Ella returns to walking the hills and lakes, she begins keeping a journal of what she sees, smells, and feels, discovering that writing helps her come into herself after years of being emotionally dulled by repressed pain. Toward the end, plot twists catch us by surprise, increasing the dramatic effect of Spring Melt. Recommended.
