Resolve by J. J. Hensley
I got ahold of Resolve
by J. J. Hensley this summer and adored it, and since at the moment he seems to
be something of a local author for the city of Pittsburgh, I thought I’d take
the opportunity to endorse his book wider afield because I think it deserves
it. My hometown librarian recommended the book. Apparently Hensley came in once
upon a time to do some promotional things and sign the library copy of the
book.
Resolve is centered on a murder that takes place during
the Pittsburgh Marathon. The narrator, Cyprus Keller (yeah, that’s his name),
admits that he knows that a murder will take place during the run because he’s
going to commit it. The mystery for the reader is figuring out who the victim
is going to be, what Keller’s reasons are, and how he’s going to accomplish it in
the middle of a very public event. (Speaking of the setting, I have family
members who live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, so I can tell you that all of the
descriptions are authentic. I even have an uncle who runs the Pittsburgh
Marathon, so while I know nothing about running as a sport, I still read this
book fondly.)
When the book begins, readers find that Keller was
a former Baltimore police officer but is currently teaching Criminology at a
second-rate Pittsburgh college. When one of his students is murdered, he is
understandably shaken. Then when her possible killer attacks him, he decides to
take the law into his own hands and do a bit of investigation—and once he comes
to a conclusion, vigilante justice. (Hensley is drawing on his own experience
as an ex-police officer and former Secret Service agent. He also includes
anecdotal experiences from his own life in the form of character Brent
Lancaster.)
Hensley’s writing is clever with elements of noir
humor and very accurate scenic descriptions. And while exercise is not my bag,
it almost made me wish it was. I established several theories about who
Keller’s victim would be as I was reading the book, and every one of my
theories was wrong. Looking back now, it seems obvious, but Hensley uses
misdirection so skillfully that I could hardly believe I had forgotten these
all-important single lines. (That’s not a spoiler, just read closely.)
Resolve brings up very important questions about justice,
responsibility, and conscience. Can the vigilante live with himself afterwards?
Does knowing you are in the right make up for murder? How is this similar to
capital punishment and the death penalty? As a character, Cyprus Keller makes
it clear that he has no guilt for what he plans to do, apparently very
comfortable with the idea of killing a man. And as a reader, I support him
completely: if you’re going to have a revenge novel, you want to see the right
sort of villain be put down. But it’s interesting that once Cyprus has resolved to commit the crime, he
experiences no hesitation about what he feels he must do.
Does that make Cyprus any better than his victim? I
don’t know, but that’s part of what makes it so interesting: readers question their
own morality by examining Keller’s. I still recommend this book, even to
readers who aren’t big on running, for the mystery. Hensley also has a sequel, Measure Twice, in the works.
Brynn Callahan
