Reviewed by Adriann Ranta

First Sentence: “‘Have you reached a verdict?’ Judge Alfred Neff asked the eight men and four women seated in the jury box.”

This legal thriller starts out in the most appropriate (and cliché?) setting for its genre: the courtroom. The omniscient narrator introduces Betsy Tannenbaum, Andrea Hammermill’s defense attorney, in the murder of her client’s husband. It is quickly explained at the top of page 4 that Andrea did indeed pull the trigger (until there were no more bullets), but her pitiful sobbing makes it doubtful that this matronly woman is guilty of anything. And this is what the jury supports in their verdict.

Chapter one ends with Betsy choked up on the fringe of a celebratory crowd—I should note that I find it unlikely that a lawyer should cry over winning a case, unless she is a relative newcomer to the profession. But then why would a newcomer be assigned a murder case? I’m irritated by women being superfluously emotional in literature—it only highlights the author’s male sexuality.

Section two of chapter one throws the reader into the climax of a sex scene between a sleek, wolf-like Darius and some anonymous blonde. They are in a hotel room at 2PM—what are they hiding from? After his shower, Darius incongruously breaks off their questionable relationship to the blonde’s disappointment and surprise.

When she questions him, he replies, “‘To your credit, you are beautiful and good in bed,’ he said, knotting his tie, ‘but you’re boring.’” The blonde’s insulted and threatens to tell his wife—aha!—and he counters by twisting her arm, threatening her against ever contacting him or his wife again. Darius is obviously a bad guy, nearly a sociopath in his lack of empathy. He toys with the idea of seducing her again, then leaves for a meeting in his black Ferrari before the page break on page 8, “without the slightest suspicion that someone was photographing him from the corner of the motel parking lot.”

Page 9 gives us Darius’ first name, Martin, and has him racing towards downtown Portland. He admires the skyline, from which he made his fortune. The radio is broadcasting an interview with Betsy regarding her recent acquittal, a convenient exposition of her past: this is her second recent acquittal in a murder case using the battered woman defense, she is one of America’s up-and-coming female trial lawyers, she’s generally humble, and has a daughter.

Darius’ car phone rings and there’s a voice on the other line he doesn’t recognize, who tells Darius to meet him at Captain Ned’s seafood restaurant before hanging up.

Darius is obviously flustered and pulls to the side of the road where he regains his composure: “In a way he was grateful to the caller. He had grown complacent after all these years, but you were never safe. He would consider this a wake-up call” (11).

Section three opens in Captain Ned’s, which is dark but seems relatively busy for this time of day. A heavy-set man joins Darius in his booth, wasting no time in expressing his blackmail scheme. The stranger has drawn a connection between Darius and some notes and black roses left around Hunter’s Point and recently Portland. The stranger mentions his own time in prison and “other rape-os” like Darius. Darius feigns acceptance of the deal--$250,000 to keep quiet—and the man leaves, ending the section on page 14.

Section four introduces another character, Russ Miller, speeding home to his wife through the Oregon rain. He’s excited to tell her about receiving the Darius Construction account at his advertising firm after schmoozing with Darius at various house parties. Russ continues to fantasize about his career options until he arrives home to find dinner only half-cooked, and his wife missing. After changing into house clothes, he goes into the bedroom to find a black rose, and a note that reads “Gone, but not forgotten.” Chapter one ends with this on page 16.

Chapter two introduces Austin Forbes, President of the United States, meeting with Senator Colby and Kelly Bendelow, his “troubleshooter.” After a string of questions about Senator Ray Colby’s marriage, personal life, and history, the President makes his nomination known for Senator Colby as Chief Justice.

After the page break on page 19, Colby heads to the liquor cabinet of his home, leaving his wife to sleep. He muses on his admiration for his father, despite his own successes: “first at Harvard Law, CEO of Marlin Steel, the governor of New York and a United States senator.” It’s partly nerves that’s keeping Colby from sleep—he is to be nominated tomorrow—but also the presence of “something” in his past. This is kept vague when the chapter ends on page 21 with Colby returning to bed.

Chapter three begins with the introduction of yet another character: district attorney Alan Page. He is recovering from a recent divorce from his wife due to her numerous affairs and lies, which has left him bitter and love-sick. Alan enters his office where his secretary tells him Chief of Police Tobias called, sounding upset.

Alan returns Chief Tobias’ call, who states, “We’ve got another one.” Chief Tobias describes the missing woman, Victoria Miller, Russ’ wife. She’s “just like the others,” having disappeared without a struggle, and the presence of the note and rose. She is the third woman to disappear, the culprit leaving no evidence, and there is no obvious connection between the three women aside from their one-per-month disappearance.

Section two opens on the bottom of page 25, back to Betsy Tannenbaum. She is “frazzled” and about to leave the office to pick up her daughter Kathy from daycare and to cook dinner. She seems to be a single working mother. Her last call of the day is from Darius, who offers her $2,500 to meet in her office at six so no one else in the office will know. She calls her ex-husband Rick, who irritatingly obliges to pick up Kathy from daycare.

After the break on page 28, Darius finally arrives 35 minutes late. He questions her about a book by Greig, a serial killer. He asks Betsy if she would represent such a monster, which she would agree to do on principle. He then presents her with a check, matching her previous year’s gross income, saying she is entitled to more if she agrees to represent him in the future. She is offended at this breech of privacy, and unsure about whether to accept a case in this way, but ultimately agrees.

Betsy arrives home at the beginning of section three, ecstatic and flattered to be chosen by Martin Darius. After greeting her six-year-old, Rick and Betsy argue about picking up Kathy. She starts to prepare dinner, letting it slip that Darius retained her that evening. Rick is incredulous and jealous.

After a page break on page 35, Betsy tucks Kathy into bed. As she washes the dinner plates, she muses on her two-month-old divorce and Rick’s jealousy over her career success. He is a lawyer too, and was passed over for partnership last year. Betsy still feels heartbroken and lonely.

Chapter four introduces yet another character: Wayne Turner, Senator Colby’s administrative assistant. He is hurting from drinking too much the night before, celebrating Colby’s nomination for Chief Justice. His last message of the morning is from Nancy Gordon, calling from Hunter’s Point, NY.

Turner calls Gordon back, who immediately says: “He’s surfaced.” The characters in this book waste no time in greetings. Turner thinks a moment, then feels sick. The two characters seem to have a close, professional relationship, but it’s unclear what Nancy does or why she’s privy to the investigation—cop or detective?

Turner wonders if there’s a connection to the resurfacing of the serial killers and Senator Colby’s nomination, though what connection there might be between the two men is unknown to the reader. After some more weighted vagaries, Nancy implies that she’ll kill the man responsible, despite her title of Homicide Detective (tada!). The section ends on page 42.

Section two returns to Alan Page, district attorney and confidante of Chief Tobias. He’s at home, eating a TV dinner—it seems that he’s back to living the bare-bones bachelor life. He’s watching a news report on Senator Colby’s nomination—the ubiquitous story—when Nancy Gordon knocks on the door, asking for a moment.

Wasting no time, she asks if the phrase “Gone, But Not Forgotten” means anything to Page. He’s shocked because this information isn’t on public record. Gorgon, described as attractive without trying, is hell-bent on this case, stating that she hasn’t slept well since it started more than 10 years ago. She thinks Gone, But Not Forgotten is worse than Bundy, Manson, and Dahmer because he’s cunning and still at large. She hastens to tell Page all about Hunter’s Point, which is the segue to Part Two, Chapter Five, page 49.

Gone, But Not Forgotten is a classic example of bestselling detective fiction. The characters are tortured, driven, attractive people tied together by an archetypal sadistic villain. The writing is terse, the dialogue is clipped and witty, and the pacing is relentless. However, all of these traits come together to make Gone unremarkable as a work of lasting fiction—while not entirely predictable, these are stock characters in a stock plot. Gone is a quick read, for better or for worse.