If you're tired of the same old detective stories, Richard Rein Smith's 'Pick a Crime' offers a fresh and clever twist. It feels both classic and completely new.

The Story

We meet Dr. Alistair Finch, a mild-mannered history professor nearing retirement. His life is quiet, predictable. Then, out of the blue, a mysterious foundation approaches him with an extraordinary offer: pick any unsolved historical crime, and they will fund a full, unrestricted investigation. No red tape, no budget limits. It's a historian's fantasy.

Finch chooses the 1923 'Lighthouse Murder' in the fictional town of Portsgrave—a case where a reclusive lighthouse keeper was found dead under strange circumstances, officially ruled an accident, but whispered about as something darker. As Finch digs into old records, interviews descendants, and walks the foggy cliffs, he uncovers layers of jealousy, hidden relationships, and a town secret that powerful people wanted buried. But the deeper he goes, the more he senses he's being watched. The foundation's offer wasn't just academic charity. Someone is using him as a tool, and solving this crime might unleash consequences he never imagined.

Why You Should Read It

What I loved most was the double-layered puzzle. Sure, you're trying to figure out who killed the lighthouse keeper a hundred years ago. But the more gripping question is why Finch is being allowed to do this now. Smith builds a wonderful sense of creeping dread. The historical mystery is satisfyingly complex, but the modern frame story—with its subtle threats and unclear motives—is what keeps the pages turning late into the night.

Finch is a fantastic lead. He's not an action hero; he's a thoughtful, sometimes stubborn scholar who uses his knowledge as his weapon. Watching his academic curiosity transform into a desperate need for the truth is really compelling. The book is also a love letter to research—the thrill of finding a lost letter, the puzzle of connecting disparate facts—but it never gets dry. It's all momentum.

Final Verdict

This book is a perfect match for readers who enjoy their mysteries with a side of intellectual heft. If you like authors like Kate Morton or Anthony Horowitz's 'Magpie Murders', where past and present collide, you'll feel right at home. It's also great for anyone who's ever fallen down a Wikipedia rabbit hole about an old unsolved case. 'Pick a Crime' is a smart, suspenseful read that proves the most dangerous secrets are the ones everyone has forgotten.