By Jane Smith
11/17/06 — Former Crawford County District Attorney Don Lewis has a new thriller, “Dark Covenant,” published, and for those who like a murder mystery with a lot of twists, this is the book to read.
Using his pen name E.T. Lewis, in honor of his father, Lewis begins his story at a trial for a Pittsburgh mob “godfather.”
After three days of deliberation, the jury returns the verdict amidst a courtroom filled with people, including his 11-year-old daughter, all of whom react loudly when the verdict is read.
Nine years later, the daughter visits her father in prison as he prepares to die in the gas chamber — his appeals exhausted.
From there, the story turns its focus to another woman, who sat quietly in a dark room knowing the man was to die that day.
However, the woman is not identified.
Fast forward two more years and the murder mystery becomes unveiled. One by one, somebody is killing people. Although detectives try to find a pattern for when the murderer may strike, who will be killed and how, they can’t connect them.
Then they get a call from someone who blurts out that the three murder victims all served with him on the jury.
At first, detectives believe the deaths are coincidence, but the man convinces them otherwise and voices fear for his life.
Let me say, I read this book when Lewis lived here and gave me a manuscript of the draft. I loved it. But, quite frankly, that was a few years ago. I forgot who the murderer was.
I disciplined myself this time not to go to the last chapter and cheat. I read it page by page and kept guessing who the murderer might be. Could it be the daughter? I didn’t think so, but then again, maybe it was.
As you read the story, those familiar with Crawford County law enforcement and people in the court system will recognize some names or descriptions that match somebody, but with a different name. To those of us who have been around a long time, that adds a little more interest to the story.
This novel is like none I have ever read as far as the plot goes. Where Lewis comes up with the ideas and the characters is interesting. He obviously has done a lot of homework to bring in the twists and turns before he reveals the killer and the motive.
It has no resemblance to his first novel, except the writing is still excellent and the suspense keeps building until the end.
The paperback is only 357 pages long and is a quick read for those who enjoy a good mystery — and a good insight into how police work evolves.
If you don’t like to read, but know somebody who does, I recommend buying the book as a special gift.
It is available locally at Tattered Corners on Chestnut Street, where Lewis is planning a book signing in December.
