One Monday We Killed Them All – John D. MacDonald

John MacDonald fits into a select group of crime authors with a long spiraling list of accomplishments. Attempting to digest each of the author’s books is an intimidating task, but promises to be a rewarding one. MacDonald’s best known for his Travis McGee series, which contains over 20 books, and the original novel that the movie Cape Fear was based upon called The Executioners. While I haven’t vowed to read all the Travis McGee series (I’ve only read The Deep Blue Goodbye and I did enjoy it), I’ve been steadily collecting his works as I find them. In the meantime, I’ve enjoyed a handful of MacDonald’s stand-alone crime novels.

One Monday We Killed Them All published in 1961 by GoldMedal starts reminiscently of The Executioners as the release of Dwight McAran from prison. His manslaughter prison sentence has ended after the death of his former girlfriend who has died from injuries sustained from his abuse. Unfortunately, for Lieutenant Fenn Hillyer, Dwight McAran is his brother-in-law who needs a place to stay after his prison term. Convinced to give McAran a place to get back on his feet by his wife, Meg, Hillyer must walk a fine line between duty and devotion, while his house quickly becomes the new roadside attraction for the town.

Meg seems to be the only individual on the face of the planet that believes her brother has had a bum rap. Meg is downright sure that he is capable of turning his life around. She criticizes her husband for being distrustful of McAran, even after he discovers that McAran has assaulted her in front of their child. Meanwhile, Hillyer’s police chief gives orders not to coerce McAran into any actions that would lead to his arrest; after all, McAran has served his time in full. However, Hillyer’s unofficial surveillance on his brother-in-law reveals that McAran is waiting for someone or something that will trigger his long gestating revenge on everyone. Eventually, McAran’s only known associates have incited a riot and escaped from prison.

The writing is tight, precise, and economical. Immediately, MacDonald sets up a multilayered source of conflict and tension that builds throughout the novel. Hillyer is not afraid of McAran, but he is afraid for his family. Likewise, McAran waits patiently and fearlessly for his opportunity to commit revenge. Enraptured by the course of events unfolding throughout the novel, I felt that the characters interacted logically. McDonald is able to paint his scenes with just the right amount of anxiety that when key scenes happen, the reader responds accordingly with the intended emotions. An early scene in the novel with the Hillyer’s family pet and McAran, illustrates this perfectly. Overall, I highly recommend this work as an outstanding example of pacing and suspense. The ending also delivers that high emotional impact that punches you in the gut. I do promise to read more MacDonald this year.