Unfinished Business: Pursuit of an Antarctic Killer

“Unfinished Business: Pursuit of an Antarctic Killer” is the second in the “Antarctic Murder Trilogy” based on real events in the life of the author. The series is a fictional account of incidents that took place in the years 1960 through 1965. The story picks up where “Frozen in Time” leaves off. Captain Roberto Munoz and members of his crew from the Lientur are back on the scene. The Lientur is undergoing repairs in readiness for the upcoming 17th Chilean Expedition to the Antarctic scheduled for September 1962. Captain Mateo Valderas and Lieutenant-Commander Antonia Del Rio, from the Chilean Navy’s Office of Internal Affairs are sent to solve a murder at the naval base located in Arica, Chile. During their investigation Valderas and Del Rio discover clues that link the murder to the 1960 bank robbery in Talcahuano. Their inquiry uncovers suspicious evidence that indicate that Captain Munoz may be deeply involved in both crimes. Cohen is a master at the craft of characterization. His characters are based on the lives of real people. They are solid, essential and each contributes an important part to the flow of the plot. For instance: Vaderas strengths lie in his powers of detection and deduction, his familiarity of numismatics, his knowledge of security procedures, and his technical knowledge of shipboard protocol and naval nomenclature. These all add to his reputation as “el sabueso, the bloodhound” and are typical of Cohen’s strong character development. Active interaction between characters, believable dialog, stunning descriptions of the dangers and beauty of the environment, and the natural flow of details relative to Chilean culture and the rites of the Catholic Church all add to the credibility of the story. Although the author generously supplies background information throughout the narrative of “Unfinished Business,” I would strongly suggest that the reader read “Frozen in Time: Murder at the Bottom of the World” before reading book two in “The Antarctic Murders Trilogy.” Either way, you will not be disappointed in your reading experience. Degrees in Physics and Geophysics and a background which includes exploration in South America and Antarctica, communications, electronics, a love for music and a full life of keen observation all are incorporated in Cohen’s writing. His extensive research comes to light in his well-placed footnotes, maps, and illustrations. Theodore Jerome Cohen, author of “Unfinished Business: Pursuit of an Antarctic Killer,” is a master at creating an aura of mystery, suspense, and drama. Cohen’s writing style is engaging, innovative, and focused, clearly designed for the post-modern reader.

It was like having Christmas in August for me as the FedEx package arrived with the 2nd of the Antarctic Murders Trilogy by Theodore Jerome Cohen for review. I had finished his first novel, "Frozen in Time: Murder at the Bottom of the World," and anxiously awaited the completion of his sequel, "Unfinished Business: Pursuit of an Antarctic Killer," as appropriately titled there were strings left dangling at the close of the prequel which formed an ending open for interpretation. Dr. Cohen claimed it was the influence from friends, family and fans which had encouraged him to continue this amazing adventure mystery series by making it into a trilogy. My initial concern was to determine whether or not this sequel could stand on its own with respect to a reader picking up and enjoying this book without having knowledge of "Frozen in Time." My conclusion is you need to read the first book to thoroughly enjoy this novel. Although a synopsis of characters and references to prior events are developed and brought forward, the true adventure - the chilling cold of the Antarctic; the spectacular death of a character by being eaten alive by an Orca while seal hunting; the nauseating roll of a ship traversing the Drake Passage; the twists of events leading up to "Unfinished Business" is best when savored in sequence. Obviously, to best understand the depth of character development into the soon-to-be-released third and final book would further suggest this prerequisite reading. The relentless pursuit of the truth beneath a series of deaths and events beyond reasonable circumstances by an investigator brought fourth his instinct that all is not what is told to him. At one point the sleuth says to his colleague about a suspect, "I think what he's saying is laced with lies! He remembers small details much too well...details he gave me without hesitation. His story is too pat. It's almost as if he had rehearsed it in his mind many times. The captain will tell me the truth when it comes to everything he thinks I already know or can determine for myself. Everything else will be a lie!" This fuels the detective's passion for getting to the truth and unveils the cat-and-mouse nature of the narration of the novel. A slight deviation in style from his first book in the series, Dr. Cohen had eliminated his "signature" of having an abundance of footnotes - in fact there are no footnotes -- as I found it was a revealing way he dichotomized his truth from fiction. Unfinished Business is extremely entertaining and although there is death, murder, deceit and greed, having the spoils of cash, gold, and valuables from a bank vault robbery stashed in a new refrigerator still in its crate and in possession of the Chilean Navy for safe keeping provides, in my opinion, a bit of a comic relief to the seriousness of the characters' plight. After all, who needs a refrigerator in the Antarctic anyway? "Unfinished Business" is an enjoyable and tantalizing book written by a character within the story in real life. I have found reading the work by Theodore Jerome Cohen to be the most enjoyable way to experience the Antarctic without having to put on a down parka. Now, once again, I am anxiously waiting to see what happens in his final novel in this series as there is still Unfinished Business!

Captain Munoz and the crew of the Lientur have returned to Chile and are trying to put the tragedies of the expedition behind them. The mystery of the apparent looting of the Banco Central de Chile continues to baffle the Chilean Naval Office of Internal Affairs. Two new investigators, Captain Mateo Valderas and Lieutenant-Commander Antonio Del Rio, discover that a recent murder at the base in Arica, Chile is actually connected to the looting of the bank and the deaths of the Lientur’s crewmen. As they delve deeper into the events of the Antarctic expedition, the captain of the Lientur rises to the top as their chief suspect in the recent murder and that he may be the key to recovering the stolen assets from the bank. Valderas and Rio must catch the killer before he kills again. Unfinished Business: Pursuit of an Antarctic Killer by Theodore Jerome Cohen is the second of three books in the Antarctic Murders trilogy. The trilogy, based on true events with a bit of fiction mixed in, is a fascinating read that I had trouble putting down. Cohen uses rich character development to continue the chronicling of the Chilean Antarctic Expedition and the events surrounding the May, 1960 Chilean earthquake. Cohen’s skills as a writer make the reader feel a part of the story. One of the best attributes o f this trilogy is that the mystery is actually very complex without seeming so. I already have the trilogy’s concluding book and plan to read it in the near future, as I am anxious to see how the story ends. I give this book 5 of 5 stars.