The Interpreter: A Novel

Revelle Lee is a multi-lingual interpreter and the about-to-be adoptive mother of six-year-old Elliot. Between translating for witnesses in stressful court cases and looking after the little boy, Revelle is stretched to the limit. She manages, albeit only just, until she is assigned to interpret for a defense witness in a murder trial. The victim happens to be Elliot’s Filipino babysitter. To ensure that the jury reaches a guilty verdict, she mistranslates the evidence that would have provided the accused with an alibi.

At the same time, Elliot’s now-complete adoption is jeopardized by the unexpected reappearance of his birth mother. A series of events follow, unpleasant to begin with, then unnerving, and finally, threatening. Is it the doings of Elliot’s real mother? Or of someone who has stumbled across the translation “errors” and has blackmail in mind? Or has something in Revelle’s past finally resurfaced?

The Interpreter is a highly imaginative mystery with a clever and well-worked plot. It is so well told that the reader feels the competing self-justifications and self-doubts that bedevil Revelle, whether at home or in court. This wonderfully original story is a must for mystery enthusiasts.