Author Cornelia Read used her experience as a writer for the weekly newspaper The Syracuse New Times as the basis for her character, Madeline Dare, in her debut mystery novel, “A Field of Darkness.”

Madeline is a features writer at a weekly newspaper in Syracuse, whose usual assignments run along the lines of “Hot Drinks for Winter.” She becomes involved in a more dangerous assignment when a pair of army dog tags belonging to her cousin, a Long Island playboy named Lapthorne, turn up at the site of a double homicide that occurred 20 years ago.

A friend of her husband's family is the farmer who owned the land where two teenage girls were found murdered. He found the dog tags and kept them instead of giving them to the police. Madeline is astonished when she recognizes the name on them as her favorite cousin.

She digs into the case, with her first stop - Walt, the reporter who covered the story for the newspaper. Simon, the paper's photographer, still had a series of photos from the case which Madeline studied for clues.

Her husband, Dean, warns her against getting involved in something that may be dangerous. Dean is the most likable character in the book, a down-to-earth guy who loves his wife, works hard at perfecting an invention involving railroad tracks and has a good head on his shoulders. He spends much of the time away in Canada at a job, and I would have liked to see more of his character.

Madeline is a bit of a bitter pill; she dislikes living in Syracuse, a place she calls a hick town (and worse), but it appears that she was unhappy everywhere she lived, from Long Island to California. Dean suggests that maybe it is not the places she lives that make her unhappy, but that she is unhappy with the direction of her life.

Madeline's family comes from old money in Long Island, and the contrast between her proper upbringing and the life she leads now is striking. Read gives equal jabs at Madeline's rich relatives as well as Dean's country hick relatives. Madeline is one tough chick, and she uses rough language as well (readers be warned if that offends you).

She goes to her friend, Kenny, a former policeman turned bar owner, for advice on how to proceed. Kenny shares his experience with her, and when it appears that a former police officer may be involved in the murders somehow, Kenny warns Madeline to be very cautious.

Madeline's curiosity about her cousin forces her to keep digging and soon more dead bodies pile up. Ellis, a high school girl friend of Madeline's who loves adventure, shows up for the ride, and soon she and Madeline are both in over their heads. An attempt to get close to the bad cop ends in an escape through a bar bathroom window and a car chase.

The girls that were murdered 20 years ago met up with Madeline's cousin at the State Fair, and since Madeline has an assignment from her paper to cover food at the Fair, she decides to search for an artist who did silhouettes of the girls before they were murdered.

You feel like you are at the Fair as you read Read's descriptions of Ye Olde Ox Roast restaurant, pizza frittes, sausages, peppers and onions and the Cortina Bob ride. A scene featuring takeout from Sal's Birdland brought me right back to my college days.

The mystery deepens as the author throws in clues that seem to lead somewhere and then whip back around to a completely different place. The settings move from Syracuse to Long Island and then to an Adirondack cabin where the climax of the book will have you on pins and needles.

Mystery lovers will enjoy “A Field of Darkness,” and it is a pretty good debut novel, keeping the reader guessing as to what happens next. Read seems to leave herself open to more adventures with Madeline and company, and perhaps a series of books will be in the future. A visit to her Web site, www.corneliaread.com, also has a cool feature with links to places mentioned in her book, such as the Syracuse New Times. I give “Field of Darkness” three stars.

I have received some suggestions from readers on books to pass along to you. Barbara Mulvey enjoys author Beverly Lewis' series of books and is currently reading “The Prodigal.”

Another reader likes Margaret Marron's mysteries featuring Judge Deborah Knott; there are 11 of them and she suggests starting them in order.

Paula Marcotte, an online reader of The Citizen, recommends the novel “A Million Nightengales” by Susan Straight. It is the story of a Moinette, a mulatto slave girl who lives in Louisiana in the late 1700s. She says it is a beautiful story.

Thanks for the suggestions and keep them coming.

Auburn native Diane La Rue's

lifelong goal is to read a book a week. If you have suggestions, e-mail her at laruediane2000@yahoo.com