Dark Shadows:
The Tony & Cassandra Mysteries 1.4:
The Mystery
of Karmina Sonata
written by
Aaron Lamont
Why did I
think listening to a mystery box set would be a good idea for a daily
review project? Why did I do this to myself? Especially as, being a
box set, the fourth one was always going to not only be a minefield
of spoilers for itself but for at least one of the episodes before
it.
So, anyway,
like Sherlock it took this series a strangely long time for a
client to actually turn up at the main characters' place of work to
hire them and explain the situation. In this case it is celebrity
medium Karmina Sonata, who Cassandra not only pegs as a fraud
straight off and Karmina admits it. She's a conwoman who gets money
out of the rich and desperate (or the rich and bored) by putting on a
show. Again, its nice to have a supernatural series with a place for
skepticism.
Anyway,
Karmina the fraud found herself actually possessed by a spirit during
a recent séance and now her clients are being picked off, murdered
in spectacularly symbolic ways.
What follows
is a pretty standard detective set up with Tony talking to Karmina,
Cassandra researching the supernatural side of the case and secretary
Rita researching Karmina. Tony and Cassandra also do a tour of the
crime scenes and homes of the survivors in order to get some idea of
why they're being targeted outside of simply being at the séance.
The answer,
of course, refers back to the solution of a previous adventure that I
wouldn't spoil then and won't spoil now.
So, what
else to say? Tony and Cassandra are as fun to listen to as ever as
they bicker their way through the case, though the conclusion pushes
them as close to emotional honesty with each other as they've ever
been. I do wonder what will happen to them once we get to that point
when they're properly, honestly able to admit their evident feelings
to each other. On the one hand, it will be a very cathartic moment
but on the other their past relationship is so unhealthy, so linked
to trauma for both of them that I wonder if it can be addressed
healthily.
Whatever
else, they're a fun enough ride that I'm in no hurry to have them get
together which is probably for the best.
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