Writing senior protagonists is quite the challenge. Too often we see authors take too little advantage of the uniqueness of the elderly as characters. When written well, these characters are not “just like anyone else”. The best senior characters, in my opinion, have specializations. They know what they’re good at, and they have deep reserves of skill and connection that they can draw on to achieve goals. It’s not that they can’t grow and change – but the best senior characters start from a place of greater self-awareness than your average teen protagonist.

At the same time, they often have deeply rooted flaws; there’s a Goldilocks zone of competence to keep the story interesting. And a well-written senior protagonist often features younger foils, highlighting what makes their approach unique. These younger foils also often ground the protagonists, give them something to care about – because motivation matters.

I was nervous, then, to read the latest in Mark de Castrique’s Ethel Crestwater series. The first entry, Secret Lives, veered a little too far into “magically awesome old protagonist”, with Ethel making almost no mistakes. Still, there was some promise, particularly in the relationship between Ethel and her double-first cousin once removed, Jesse. And there was something endearing about the members of Ethel’s Army – I just wanted to know them a bit better – so I was willing to give the series another try. (Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the gift copy!)

Inside a Government Scandal

Dangerous Women, the follow-up to Secret Lives, picks up with a hit. Two Supreme Court law clerks run into trouble – and one happens to board with Ethel, who immediately goes on the case. As she and Jesse dig deeper, they quickly realize they need to protect the Chief Justice. Action ensues, drama happens, traps spring… And a Big Ol Government Conspiracy comes to light.

To be clear, this is a book with a bit of a puzzle and a LOT of action. Ethel and Jesse spend as much time running or shooting or protecting people as they do actually solving the puzzle. The puzzle itself is – fine. It’s a bit guessable, but de Castrique lays out all the pieces and there’s some cleverness to piecing them together.

As you may be able to tell, I just don’t love government conspiracies. (I’m more West Wing that House of Cards in my proclivities.) I found myself rushing through the action scenes trying to get to the detective bits. These were spread a bit too far apart for me – but if you like a government conspiracy story, this may be up your alley.

…with an increased character focus

Of course, frequent readers of this blog know that I particularly care about character writing. I find it impossible to get invested in a plot that doesn’t make me care about the characters – not just the main protagonist, but the supporting cast. de Castrique spends a lot more time developing this cast, and I cared a lot more about Ethel’s success.

This change is twofold. First – Ethel seems a lot more like a person in this book. In Secret Lives, she came off as almost hyper-competent. Here, it’s clear that she cares for people, that she can be funny, that she’s willing to walk into danger. There’s a bit less snarky guessing of outcomes and a bit more character activity.

The second change is in the development of the Chief Justice. De Castrique actually takes the time to develop her outside of her interactions with Ethel, and we learn to like and respect her individually first. Not only that, but she keeps demonstrating a Very Likable spine. This added depth to a “minor” protagonist makes the whole story more readable, as Ethel’s motivation moves from theoretical to very practical grounds. You don’t want to see the Chief Justice fall to political machinations, and you also don’t want to see Clarissa harmed.

Reader’s notes & rating (⭐⭐⭐)

I am so glad that Dangerous Women is such an improvement over Secret Lives, really coming into its own. I personally still can’t get over the Grisham-ness of it – the idea that so much of DC is so tightly connected, and a significant number of Powerful People are out to take advantage. But I can see others enjoying it, particularly if they enjoy spending time with a quick-witted and surprising protagonist like Ethel and her Cousin Jesse. Three stars.

Dangerous Women will be published on October 24, 2023.