Geary’s art, as par for this series, is finely detailed and as wittily detached as his narrative voice–when one of the suspects’ alibis is that he was out having dinner with friends, for instance, we’re treated to a ceiling’s eye view of that repast with the focus on the meal, not the diners. Geary aims his investigation into early twentieth century America with the eyes of an intrigued and empathetic outsider. While his visual take on all the parties involved broach caricature, it’s never vicious caricature. His ink and line work remain unparalleled, particularly in the book’s visual imaginings of different murder scenarios being put forth.
If the small-town murders described in Lover’s Lane don’t have the splashiness of other books in the series (Jack the Ripper, The Borden Tragedy, The Murder of Abraham Lincoln) it’s still a strong addition to Geary’s graphic library of dark deeds. Highly recommended, as usual.
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