Review by Ian Keogh
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is a wonderfully subversive idea. Patrick Horvath begins by spotlighting one of those friendly humanoid animal societies so beloved in children’s books, in this case Woodbrook, and then reveals one of them is a serial killer. They travel to the big city every now and then, kill a random person, slice them into small pieces and bury them in a collection of pots. While their identity isn’t immediately revealed within, allowing for some surprising events, the cover gives the game away. However, they’re not the only serial killer in town. That’s when Horvath introduces the Dexter element of a serial killer hunting down one of their own, enraged by the sensationalism and opportunism and that it’s happening in Woodbrook.
Sam Rose is a bear who runs the local hardware store, although someone so used to covering her tracks her best friend believes there’s nothing they can’t know about each other after forty years, and we follow Sam carrying out the investigation. Because Horvath draws the cuddly animal characters so well and defines their world so well, it’s easy to forget for pages at a time that atrocities have been committed. He backs up the art with thoughtful little moments contributing to the plot, such as Sam’s hardware store picking up substantial extra business as people rush to protect their homes.
Despite the setting, Horvath treats the story as a procedural mystery, parading suspects before us and dropping several false clues along the way. It’s well-plotted sleight of hand. He also builds Sam’s character via her narration, revealing a person who knows how to fit in, but is faking it. The extent of her psychological detachment is disclosed at a funeral where she considers how many such occasions she’s caused.
When the big revelation arrives it’s brilliantly undersold, and moves Beneath the Trees into a second act where the circumstances are very different. It’s insight into a different side of Sam, yet takes an even darker road in laying out her distanced character. Despite the unusual setting fans of a crime drama shouldn’t miss out, and there’s a sequel in Rite of Spring.
