Susan Oleksiw writes two
mystery series, the Mellingham series featuring Chief of Police Joe Silva, and
the Anita Ray series, featuring Indian-American photographer Anita Ray, who
lives in India at a tourist hotel. Susan is also known for her reviews and articles
on crime fiction, and was an editor for the Oxford
to Crime and Mystery Writing (1999). Her first book in the mystery field is
A Reader’s Guide to the Classic British
Mystery (1988). One of the reasons she likes crime fiction is the way it
allows her to explore contemporary behavior and problems, and the many
different kinds of lives we live today. Learn more about Susan
and her books at her website.
Last Call for Justice: A Mellingham Mystery grew out of a question a reader once asked me. Why
don’t we know more about Chief Joe Silva’s family? I thought that was a fair
question, and decided to write a book focusing on Joe and his large Portuguese
family. I grew up in an area with a large Portuguese population, and thought
this would be fun. I love the large Portuguese gatherings, the complicated families,
and the food.
I had some of this in the
back of my mind as I began to write, but mostly I focused on the murder—what
would the crime be and who would be part of it? But as I got deeper into
writing, the personalities of Joe’s siblings took over. Then the way families
get together and share with each other began to dominate. Before I knew it, I
had a crime set at a family reunion where every relative contributed a favorite
dish. Joe’s father, a man now in his nineties, watches the platters come to the
table, picking out the ones he wants. He especially notices paella with chicken
and shrimp, spinach with raisins and pine nuts, stuffed onions, and cod and
potato salad.
Last Call for Justice takes us deep into Joe’s family and background. The
middle of seven children, Joe is sometimes called by his family “the one who
got away.” He’s worried about the consequences from his father’s bringing
together everyone, including the two youngest siblings who disappeared years
ago after one was accused of a crime he didn’t commit. It is this lingering
accusation that the elderly Pae Silva wants to put to rest. He hasn’t much time
left on this earth, and he wants to see his children at peace.
Portuguese cuisine is known
for its many fish dishes, and the cod and potato salad is a favorite with a lot
of people. It’s simple and easy to make, and is a good accompaniment for a
number of other dishes.
Cod and Potato Salad
(This recipe is easily
adjusted)
1 lb small red potatoes
½ lb boneless cod
1 onion diced
2 celery stalks, cut
lengthwise and diced
EVOO
White wine vinegar
Nutmeg
Salt & pepper
Place cod in saucepan, cover
with water, and simmer till tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Shred
into smallish pieces.
Cover potatoes with water
and bring to a boil. Boil until tender but not so long that skins pull away.
Drain and cool, and cut into one-half to one inch pieces.
Mix together cod, potatoes, celery,
and onion. Dress with oil and vinegar. Season with nutmeg, and salt and pepper.
Serve with fish, or with a
green salad.
Last Call for Justice
Chief Joe Silva plans a
long weekend visit with his family, taking his partner, Gwen, and her daughter,
Jennie, along. Joe's father, in his nineties and ailing, has insisted on
bringing everyone together for one last family reunion. He even managed to
persuade the two youngest, who went west and started new lives. The patriarch
has plans to heal an old wound but the family ends up facing a new crime, and
Joe works feverishly to catch the killer before even more damage is done.
