By Regis Behe
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, March 5, 2006

For Parker, the condition was a perfect device for a story culled from another real-life condition: the corruption and financial shenanigans that a couple of years ago earned San Diego the nickname "Enron by the Sea." While the local chamber often touts itself as America's Finest City for its temperate climate and variegated cultures, postcard-quality beaches and golf courses, there's also a dark undercurrent that roils beneath the city's pristine surface.

"We have a long and illustrious history of collusion between government and business down here in San Diego that's not always healthy," Parker says.

In "The Fallen," Brownlaw must solve the murder of an ethics-commission investigator, Garrett Asplundh, who is murdered on the eve of a reconciliation with his estranged wife. As he delves deeper into the crime, Brownlaw finds too many people with motives to kill Asplundh, many of them emitting the telltale red squares of deceit.

Parker, who grew up near Los Angeles and lived there until six years ago, says San Diego is fertile ground for a mystery writer, the paradise of its setting juxtaposed against a seamy underbelly.

"West Coast mystery writers have been picking on that for years, from before (Raymond) Chandler," he says. "The old contrast between the pretty palms of L.A. to the grimy things that go on after dark. That's an interesting dynamic to play off, I think. ... And San Diego's proximity to the Mexican border gives it an even higher violence and corruption quotient than you've got going in Los Angeles. It's a place where a lot of bad things have happened, and continue to happen."

Not that Parker was lacking for ideas when he lived in Orange County. He's twice won Edgar Awards for best mystery novel: in 2002 for "Silent Joe" and last year for "California Girl." His move southward, however, has been beneficial in that he's been energized by his new surroundings.

"Anytime a writer has to venture outside of himself or herself and their geography, history, you automatically as a writer become a little bit more sharp, I think," Parker says. "A little bit more attuned, a little bit more wary, a little bit more careful about trying to paint your pictures correctly. I think that general level of alertness has helped me; plus, I just love the city."

In "The Fallen," readers learn Brownlaw's synesthesia developed when he was thrown out of a sixth-floor hotel window. One of the most intriguing elements of the novel is how the condition affects his relationship with his wife. At the end of "The Fallen" -- after the crime is solved -- Parker seems to leave room for a sequel, as Brownlaw's personal life still is in balance.

But the author says that he's not inclined, at least right now, to revisit the character.

"Sometimes I think the very best thing I can do after writing a good character is just get out of his way and let him live his life rather than thrusting him into some new adventure," Parker says. "I wouldn't mind knowing what he's up to five years from now. I do think he's a neat character and a likable guy."

Capsule review

T. Jefferson Parker's "The Fallen" is a solid mystery novel with a familiar, sturdy story -- a murder, a young, callow homicide detective and his female partner investige, the powers that be throw up roadblocks. It has the potential for tedium, but Parker avoids that pitfall with lively, well-paced writing. The resolution of the crime is neatly tied up, even a bit surprising when the killer's identity is revealed. A flat, two-page coda seems unnecessary, but the preceding 321 pages are a cut above the average mystery fare.

Regis Behe can be reached at rbehe@tribweb.com or (412)320-7990.