Somebody's Fool

18 months after Sully's death, Russo's third and final book in the fool trilogy let's us return to the beloved city of North Bath and its inhabitants. The town is going through a transitioning period, being incorporated into the more affluent Schuyler Springs. The newly consolidated police department is headed by Charice Bond while her (ex?) lover Doug Raymar is wrapping up the department in North Bath. When a body turns up at an abandoned hotel the two are forced to address their complicated relationship. Meanwhile, Peter Sullivan is visited by his middle son Thomas and has to grapple with his and Sully's role as a father. Janey, Ruth's daughter, and mother to Tina also struggles with her role in life. While at first it seems as if the spirit had been finally drained out of North Bath, this book is a plea against hopelessness and let's us know that it is never too late to try again. A must read, albeit "I wished" (Rub) that characters such as Rub, Tina and Andy had gotten to develop on more pages. These loose ends let me hope that there will be another chance to return to this beloved town in a fourth book.