Ring of Truth (2001)

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Ring of Truth is a crime/thriller whose "amateur detective" is a true crime writer. While putting the finishing touches on her latest book, Marie Lightfoot uncovers additional information that may mean that justice has not been served.

This book was a good entertaining read, about what you would expect from a supermarket crime/thriller novel. I was expecting more, having loved Nancy Pickard's [The Scent of Rain and Lightning] and [The Virgin of Small Plains], which both seemed more "literary" than Ring of Truth. ( )

Ring of Truth is second in a series featuring south Florida true-crime writer Marie Lightfoot. In Ring of Truth, Marie has just put the finishing touches on her latest book, Anything to Be Together. Her editor is happy with the book, but Marie feels something is missing. Anything to Be Together tells the story of the murder of Susanna Wing, wife of the handsome and charismatic Reverend Robert Wing of Sands Gospel Church. He and his alleged lover Artemis McGregor were tried for Susanna’s murder, but only Rev. Wing was found guilty.

Ironically, Rev. Wing, an anti-capital-punishment activist, is awaiting the death penalty for Susanna’s brutal beating death. And he’s sitting on death row next to Steven Orbach, whose coming execution, for the murder of Allison Tobias, the Reverend Wing and his church members have been protesting. All 556 pages of Anything to Be Together are on their way toward publication, but there are just a few questions Marie must clear up first.

Ring of Truth’s format includes the weaving pieces from Marie’s manuscript and the story of her post-book investigation. Of course, Marie’s questions are justified -- and she uncovers new facts about not only the Susanna Wing murder, but also that of Allison Tobias.

Nancy Pickard is a terrific writer … and Ring of Truth is just another in a long string of great mysteries from her pen. Her plotting is near flawless – no loose ends. The ending is heart-stopping … all in all a don’t-want-to-put-it-down story.

By Diana. First Published in Mystery News, August-September 2002 ( )