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Short Story Review - Lieutenant Harald and the Impossible Gun by Margaret Maron

© Janet Kay Blaylock

This is a short story review of Lieutenant Harald and the Impossible Gun by Margaret Maron. This story is found in the anthology titled The Best of Sisters in Crime edited by Marilyn Wallace. Some of the other writers include Sue Grafton, Sara Paretsky, Mary Higgins Clark. There are several great stories in this collection. You will enjoy reading them if you like mysteries. Last month, I wrote a short story review on Voices in the Coalbin by Mary Higgins Clark. You will enjoy reading that story. Now, let's look at Lieutenant Harald and the Impossible Gun.

Lieutenant Harald and the Impossible Gun

This story started out by describing the weather. The author reveals that the summer is still hanging on even though it is late September. The setting is in New York. The main character, Lieutenant Sigrid Harald was sitting at her desk typing. When Detective Charles Tildon and a patrolman came in, she turned around. Detective Tildon wanted to talk with her for a few minutes. Officer James Boyle, who was the patrolman, was Detective Tildon's cousin.

Detective Tildon told Lieutenant Harald about a shooting that had occurred the night before. The man who was shot and killed was Ray Macken. Detective Tildon said that Boyle was going to be charged with the killing, but Boyle said he had never fired a gun before except on the shooting range. However, the .38 that had killed Macken had Boyle's fingerprints on it.

Detective Tildon began describing the appearance of Ray Macken and what he did. James Boyle had an affair with Liz Macken, Ray's wife. At that point, suspense started to mount. He had the motive to murder Ray Macken, but did he? Couldn't Liz have murdered her husband so she could be with James Boyle? Maybe she had another reason for killing her husband? Maybe she didn't kill him?

They discussed the evidence that Detective Tildon wrote in his book. Lieutenant Harald thought about the facts. She told Boyle that she believes Liz Macken killed her husband. Lieutenant Harald didn't see any other evidence that pointed to anyone else but Liz Macken. Boyle didn't agree with her. He couldn't imagine that Liz committed the crime. If she did, how did she do it? Was it with a gun? Was it some other way? Maybe some other person killed Ray Macken? If so, who could have done it and why?

Now, you will have to read the story to find out if Liz Macken murdered her husband and how.

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