Fascinating Authors

Book Review
By
John H. Manhold

Defending College Heights by Stuart Nachbar
ISBN 9780595496310, iUniverse, 217 pages, $15.95, is a mystery novel

A decorated Iraq War army veteran and recruiting officer is murdered on the campus of a small engineering school in the Hudson River Valley. His mother is devastated by the loss of her son. Her brother, Jack Donnelly, displeased by biased and degrading news coverage, and the lack of quick action to discover the culprit, goes from Philadelphia to the college to obtain answers. Upon arrival, he is greatly angered by the army’s deference to the local authorities, acts rashly, and gains the hostility of the investigating police. His business as a freelance city planner fulfills the needs of the embattled school president, however, and she persuades him to help establish better student housing, as long as he insists upon staying in the area to investigate the murder.

The plot advances when he is asked to perform other duties, such as attempting to dissuade students from demonstrating against a college job fair. This is a job he does not want to tackle, but the demonstration is programmed to provide more offensive material relating to his brother. Knowing that the media again will pounce on this, he accepts the assignment and does a plausible job. He also is given the job of surveying, and suggesting upgrades, in the campus security system, along with the detective whom he has managed to placate.

A subplot also begins to develop – there is an underground movement to force the school to close. A number of people are introduced who become prominent players in both the plot and the subplot that is developing. Among those introduced: the wealthy head of the Board of trustees; the V-P  for Student Affairs; a man named Walden Pond; a street wise student; a member of the school’s security force; and a forty-year-old woman student who is involved on both fronts, as well as becoming the main love interest in the story.

The tale moves along quite well, with the murder, and the action of the anti-war demonstrators, providing a viable background for development of the sub-plot. The characters are believable for the most part, although at times, Jack appears to be a little rough hewn for his purported background and the position he is asked to assume in the college. Generally speaking, however, Stuart Nachbar has provided an enjoyable story.