HOT STONES * COLD DEATH   by: Barbara Fleming Publisher: Silver Maple Publications, 2001 Price: $14.99, Pages: 293, ISBN: 0-9708970-0-6 Reviewed by: G.T. Johnson, Library Director Emeritus Many readers of mystery fiction are comforted by the notions that crime doesn´t pay, that the good are rewarded for their virtue, and that evil doers get their just deserts in the end. We like to assume that there is order in the universe which flows in the same direction as our cherished values and beliefs. However, author Barbara Fleming, in her inaugural offering in the mystery genre, sorely tests our assumptions about good and evil, crime and punishment, and who pays the piper after the final accounting is taken. Set in the Smithsonian Institution´s Museum of Natural History, HOT STONES * COLD DEATH opens prophetically with the discovery of two murdered intruders whose bodies are strangely placed in an African village exhibit as if they are nothing more important than stage props in a compelling theatrical event, albeit a bizarre one. Both men are young, African-American, and dressed in ritual village attire. Their identities unknown and their bodies unidentified, the murdered men come to function metaphorically as "X", the unknown quantities in a brutal senseless crime that appears to lack both opportunity and means since no one at the museum claims to know them and no weapon is found. The victim themselves, however, provide motive for their senseless murders when a priceless and stunningly beautiful emerald necklace from the Smithsonian´s fabulous gem collection is found on one of the bodies. Accustomed to their orderly, unexciting, civilized world inside the museum, staff are thrown into a tailspin when their customarily prosaic workplace becomes the sight of a grotesque tragedy which quickly spins out of control. Totally confused but relieved by the fact that their ultra sophisticated, state-of-the-art security system did not register a break-in the night of the murders, the Smithsonian´s Director of Security focuses on damage control soon after the bodies are discovered. The hero of this escalating tragedy is a young, assertive District of Columbia homicide division detective, Lieutenant Matthew Alexander. Matthew Alexander arrives at the Museum of Natural History approximately twelve hours after the murders and several hours into an orchestrated attempt to minimize, if not cover-up, damage to the Smithosonian´s reputation on Capitol Hill and in the media by the institution´s director of Security, Wallace Kendricks. Lt. Alexander instinctively recognizes the unspoken adversarial atmosphere he finds at the museum despite protests to the contrary from the highest levels in the person of the Secretary of the Smithsonian, Andrew Marshall. Keenly aware of the threat security director Kendricks´ subterfuge poses to the prompt resolution of the double murder. Lt. Alexander intensifies his efforts to pull the truth about the murders from museum staff and to convince his boss, homicide division commander Lloyd Cullison, that his investigation is being sabotaged before his eyes. However, Commander Cullison´s long memory of borderline insubordination from his best investigating officer inures him to the veracity of Lt. Alexander´s complaints. Rather than put the squeeze on the Smithsonian to cooperate more fully, Commander Cullison tightens the screws on Matthew Alexander in response to political pressure from Chief of Police Jefferson Carter who is being prodded by political pressure from the Smithsonian. But, Matthew Alexander is dogged in his determination to solve his case despite the lack of full cooperation from his commander and the Museum of Natural History. He also persists despite the nagging refusal of the murdered men to be identified through traditional means; and the lack of any glaringly obvious suspects at the museum. For a first offering in the mystery genre, Barbara Fleming has written a surprisingly engaging and detailed anatomy of a crime scene investigation that transports the reader beyond the usual hard-boiled jargon and investigative procedurals of police work. She places her characters in very interesting contextual dimensions that extend beyond the typical homicide investigation by developing the relationships among the main characters in ways that make them appear more human with all their flaws, eccentrencities, and unique character traits. She immerses the reader in the politics of Washington, D.C. from several perspectives, i.e., the politics of race, class, crime, and power in a city where power rules absolutely. HOT STONES * COLD DEATH can be described in many ways, but I would describe it first, foremost, and last as a book well worth reading. I look forward to Barbara Fleming´s next offering the the Matthew Alexander mystery series. HOT STONES * COLD DEATH is available nationwide at all Barnes & Noble bookstores, on www.amazon.com, on www.bn.com, and on www.bestsellersworld.com.