damieng's Full Review: Jodi Compton - Sympathy Between Humans
Sympathy Between Humans is Jodi Compton's second novel and is the sequel to The 37th Hour, reintroducing us to Hennepin County Sheriff's Department Detective Sarah Pribek. The events of the previous book are still hanging over Sarah’s head as the story opens with a quick recap bringing those who hadn’t read the first book up to speed.
Essentially, Sarah was involved with the death of an evil man at the end of The 37th Hour. Although she didn’t commit the crime, she knew who did and put herself in a position to be implicated for it. From the very opening of this book she sits waiting for the other shoe to drop. It creates a great feeling of loneliness for her, not helped by the fact that her husband, Shiloh, is currently in a Wisconsin prison, so she has to turn to her job to keep her mind occupied. It’s not surprising, then how completely she throws herself into her work and probably explains how involved she becomes in each case.
Which brings us to the cases that dominate the book. The first begins when Marlinchen Hennessey walks in to Sarah’s office. She has the type of story that has been heard numerous times before by numerous police around the world. Marlinchen’s 17 year old twin brother, Aidan, has gone missing. There’s nothing unusual in that, but then she goes on to reveal that not only has he been missing for two months, but he was living in Georgia at the time.
Out of her jurisdiction and a seemingly impossible prospect, Sarah’s first instinct is to dismiss Marlinchen and her missing brother. But, call it a cop’s instinct, she can’t help but feel that something is being held back. Perhaps it’s Marlinchen’s insistence that her father not be contacted, perhaps it’s the fact that there are another three children at home who are depending on Marlinchen to look after them. Whatever it is, Sarah is drawn into the case until it has gripped her tightly and almost possesses her.
Being a busy cop, Sarah has also been given the job of locating someone who has been practicing medicine without a license. Her task is to use her contacts to find the phony doctor and shut him down before he causes some real damage. Finding him isn’t a problem, not becoming emotionally involved with a caring man who is obviously a terrific doctor but is denied the right to practice because of a silly mistake? Yep, now that’s a problem.
Finally, there’s the little matter of the other shoe dropping, and it looks as though it will come in the form of an internal investigation. Just what Sarah needs is the distraction of some very pointed questions and a forensic investigation taking place with her as the subject under the microscope.
Although there is a mystery being unraveled and a police environment is the main setting, this is a story about trust and friendship and the blurring of the line that marks right and wrong. If she didn’t already in The 37th Hour, Sarah demonstrates that she is willing to bend the rules if justice can’t be achieved otherwise. Justice in her eyes, that is.
And I think, here lies the guts of Jodi Compton’s theme in Sympathy Between Humans, a theme that was displayed to a certain extent in The 37th Hour too. Highlighted over and over again is the idea that very rarely is there a simple black and white idea of whether something is legally right or wrong. Sarah operates under the concept of whether something is morally right or wrong and goes from there. It’s a principle that is at direct odds with her job as a law enforcement officer and so, there are inevitable clashes. In the meantime, it makes for some emotionally strong moments.
We are thrust into the lives of the Hennessey family, a family with many secrets that are gradually winkled out due to Sarah’s persistence. We are also thrust even more deeply into the life of Cicero Ruiz, the unlicensed doctor who has an amazing story to tell and provided some of the more captivating moments of the book. And finally we find out much more about Sarah’s past and the reason why she often chooses a path of imminent destruction.
From the moment the book opens with Sarah diving into a dirty storm-water drain to save some young boys to her heroics later on, there is barely time to draw breath. Yet Sarah still has time to suffer a debilitating illness, carry on a lightning-fast (although completely unrealistic and out of place) affair and generally get the stuffing knocked out of herself.
Piled on top of the deep character analysis, Compton hits us with a multitude of plot twists at the end that will, if you’re anything like me, have you reeling with one closely following the other. There is a risk of over-loading the senses with too many shocks in too short a time, but it’s definitely a book that will remain with you long after you’ve finished. I think Jodi Compton has surpassed her excellent debut with a compelling second book in Sympathy Between Humans.
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