"After I'm Gone"

"After I'm Gone" is a stand alone novel by Laura Lippman who authors the Tess Monaghan, P.I., mystery series.  This book was suggested to her by her husband, David Simon, who insisted she should write a novel inspired by Julius Salsbury.  Julius was the head of a large gambling operation in Baltimore in the 1970's until he disappeared while under house arrest after being convicted of mail fraud.  He was appealing his sentence when he left behind his wife, three daughters, and a girlfriend.
Although Lippman admits using this true story as a basis for her novel, that is where the similarity ends - everything else is pure fiction.

 "After I'm Gone" is a love story:  Bernadette "Bambi" Gotttschalk was 19 when she met Felix Brewer at a Valentine's Day dance in 1959 - which he and two friends "crashed."  They were smitten with each other and marriage followed soon after.  Felix assured Bambi that he would provide for her financially but his method of earning money wasn't strictly legal and would require him working late nights.  As an only child, Bambi wanted a larger family and Felix agreed.  What he forgot to tell her, though, was his need to have girlfriends on the side and that it didn't mean he loved her any less.  She knew about the girlfriends but understood it didn't lessen his love for her so she accepted it as part of his "other" life.

The story is told alternating between the past and the present and focusing on Bambi, each of her three daughters, and Julie -- the mistress Felix left behind.  As a result, we get to know each character really well.

When "After I'm Gone" starts, it is twenty-six years after Felix' disappearance and Roberto "Sandy" Sanchez, a retired Baltimore detective working cold cases freelance for the police department, decides to open an old case.  Julie, Felix' young mistress, disappeared ten years to the day after Felix and the assumption was that she'd gone to join Felix wherever he's hiding out -- until her remains are found in a secluded park.  Sandy starts re-interviewing family and a couple of friends of Felix -- his bail bondsman and his attorney.  Sandy is good at what he does and he gets results - fascinating how he gets to the truth in his methodical way.  I enjoyed this book so much that I'm going to start reading the Tess Monaghan series in order.  pazt