Crime and suspense novels have been my cup of tea this summer. So when I asked for a review copy of Stephen L. Carter’s New England White, I was heavily delighted that the novel itself revolved around mystery and drama. After reading the novel, I came out not only satisfied with the well-written prose and the reasoning behind the crime itself, but I also loved the intricate plot and background woven around the characters.
The story of New England White revolves around the elite and intellectual society of an unnamed—though quite prestigious—New England university. Lemaster and Julia Carlyle are one of the most prominent and powerful African American couples living in what Julia calls the “heart of whiteness” of their neighborhood. Lemaster, now the head of a prestigious university (a step up from his occupation as a law professor in Carter’s previous work The Emperor of Ocean Park), veers off the road on his way back home from a social gathering. While waiting for help, Lemaster’s wife Julia finds a dead body covered in the brushes, only to realize that not only do the couple know the identity of the body, but the victim is Julia’s ex-lover and a renowned economist, Kellen Zant.
After the state police department dismisses the case and proclaims that the crime was due to a “robbery,” Director of Campus Safety Bruce Vallely attempts to uncover the mystery of economist Zant’s untimely death himself. With a stroke of luck and intuition, Vallely realizes that Julia holds a primary key to unlocking Zant’s major work—a work that seems to have been the great reason for the economist’s murder.
In addition to the mystery revolving around Zant’s work, the reluctant Julia finds herself embroiled once again in her ex-lover’s affairs. Julia finds that she carries a number of clues that Zant has subtly given her before his death. Though reluctant to dig deeper into the mystery, Julia finds that she is undoubtedly forced into finding the remainder of the clues in order to solve the mystery that Zant has entrusted to her.
The story itself periodically switches from one character’s storyline to another’s, though most of the plot switches back and forth from Julia’s perspective to Vallely’s. Though both characters share the same goal, Julia and Vallely don’t proceed through their investigations in a similar manner.
Focusing on the crime is a big mistake, however, because New England White is not just a crime novel. For those looking for a straight whodunnit story, this particular book might not be the best choice. In fact, as Carter’s novel progresses, there is much more than just the death of Zant that needs to be considered. Underneath it all, there is a sense of political and racial turmoil, displayed by even the academic elite. Carter seems an expert in creating and delving into the psychology behind his characters. He also takes the reader quickly through the heart of the plot, sparing no expense on the intricate mystery behind the crime.
Carter also displays his brilliance of interwoven plots within the different characters that the reader encounters over the story. How is the problem with Vanessa Carlyle—Julia and Lemaster’s troubled, yet brilliant teenage daughter—and her obsession with a girl 50 years before her time relevant to Zant’s murder? Additionally, how does the re-election of the current fictional president of the United States have anything to do with a famed economist? Most of the questions begin to disappear as the reader gets closer to the ending of the book, hitting cliffhangers after every chapter.
A small downside to the novel itself is Carter’s pretentious display of his vast knowledge in various aspects of academia. There was talk of economic theory in order to understand the true nature of victim Zant, though one could argue that there was too much unnecessary talk of economic theory which had almost nothing to do with Zant’s work or his murder. Overall, however, New England White came out to be quite an intriguing read.
