Review: Master of the Delta by Thomas H. Cook
A dark Mystery by Breakheart Hill, The Chatham School Affair Author
Most of mystery writer Thomas H. Cook’s novels have a literary theme to them, often one man’s exploration and personal interpretation of evil. Master of the Delta is set against the backdrop of the rigid social structure of a small delta town and the inward journey of a man born into privilege as he discovers an unexpected dark side to his own nature.
An In-Depth Look at Evil
Jake Branch is teaching a special high school course on evil. In it, he describes in graphic detail the Inquisition and various instruments of torture. In his lectures, he discusses other, more subtle forms of evil, such as Judas’s betrayal and the consuming jealousy of Iago.
Jake is surprised to find that one of the students in his class is the son of a real murderer, the Co-ed Killer. Years ago, Eddie Miller’s father abducted, tortured and killed a local girl. When a student disappears, Jack unwittingly makes Eddie a suspect by mentioning he had seen the missing girl riding in his van.
Jake finds he is mistaken about the identity of the girl he glimpsed in the van. To make amends for his “like father, like son” assumption, he begins to take a special interest in Eddie Miller. He encourages the boy, who is somewhat of an outcast, to write a paper on his killer father. He believes that such a paper will put the ghosts to rest that haunt the young man.
You’re Not the Person You Think You Are
When Jake asks his class to choose the most evil person they know to write their paper on, Dirk Littlefield smirks and says, “Maybe I’ll choose you. How about that, Mr. Branch?" His words become a foreshadowing of what is to come.
Jake does not consider himself evil. But he is haunted by ghosts of his own. A man of status and privilege in the tightly-knit Southern community, Jake has idealistic dreams in which he rescues a Conferderate boy from an orphanage. He turns his efforts to saving Eddie from his bleak future. He sees the discrepancy between his own privileged life and the poor Bridges people who live on the wrong side of the tracks and they way they are viewed by this small delta society. The boy, Eddie, becomes his protégé, his special project, but Jake's interest in him is selfish.
Jake introduces Eddie to his father, a retired teacher who after a failed suicide attempt has become a recluse. After the father shares with Eddie the journal he refuses to let his own son read, Jake begins to fear that Eddie is taking his place in his father’s affection.
Jake discovers dark secrets about himself, his family and his place in society. He begins to realize that evil can take many forms and no one is exempt from the Iago-like jealousy which begins to consume him. Jake wants Eddie to succeed, but not at the cost of his own future. When his own ego and future is on the line, he become a kind of Judas, willing to betray the very person he was trying to save.
Thomas H. Cook
Thomas H. Cook is the author of twenty-two novels, including the Edgar-winning The Chatham School Affair. He is married with one daughter, and with his family divides his time between New York City and Cape Cod.
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Master of the Delta
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