REVIEWS FROM ANDI SHECHTER
Andi Shechter has attended mystery conventions for over ten years and has reviewed books for over four years. In April 2004, her cover article on mystery trends appeared in Library Journal. She was fan guest of honor for Left Coast Crime 2001.
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LOCKED IN
MARCIA MULLER
Grand Central Publishing October, 2009
I tend not to watch medical or forensics television shows because of their graphic nature. I don't do medical stuff because I know a little about a lot of it and, in part, because medical stuff is, well, creepy.
It was that "knowing a little about a lot" that caught me up here, as the second I saw the title, I actually thought to myself "oh, man, I hope this is about San Quentin". Because I didn't want it to be about "locked in syndrome". Damn.
Oh, man "Locked in syndrome" scares me. And while I've been a fan of Muller and her character Sharon McCone from the very first book, I just got a little, well, twitchy. Pick something that scares you - would you read a book about it? You're a braver fan than I am, then.
I read the book in part simply because I'd promised a review of it. I could have backed down, but no, it's a McCone book, after all. By Marcia Muller. I consider Muller one of the best authors writing today. Her characters have depth, realism, lives, personalities, and relationships. All the things I read crime and mystery fiction for. While I would not want to read this storyline as told by an okay author, Muller is so far beyond okay that I decided simply to trust her.
Another reason to read LOCKED IN was that if I didn't read it, how was I ever going to find out if things worked out okay? I'm rather invested in this series, after all, and I wanted to know. I mean I've got a long-time crush on Hy Ripinsky. Sigh.
In LOCKED IN, Muller sets up a situation where her sleuth is in precarious shape and disabled by an attack. McCone, who has been shot by an unknown assailant for an unknown reason, can still think, reason and use her brain. She is "locked-in" and cannot move, communicate, or talk.
And thus begins the solving of a mystery. Working on the solution is every person who works at McCone Investigations, from Sharon's brilliantly skilled nephew Mick Savage, to Craig Morland, former FBI agent and now one of Sharon's stars. Every individual who works for Sharon has special abilities and many are not traditional investigators. Also involved - like you could stop him - is Sharon's husband, the love of her life, Hy Ripinsky. Hy's emotional response of course has to be dealt with. He's already undergone one major loss in his life - his first wife died - and he's not the tamest guy around. But there's no one who knows Sharon better, truly, and he's the go-to guy when things get really bleak.
The chapters of LOCKED IN are short - something I didn't even notice on the first reading - and each is from the point of view of one of the characters, from long-time friend and associate Rae Kelleher, to Mick, Hy, Julia Rafael, the investigator I feel like I know the least and, of course, Sharon herself. The book read well to me, not gimmicky. It would be unlike Muller to give in to some sort of trend.
In summary, what we have here is a book that challenges how you solve a mystery. The lead detective, who is also the victim of the crime, isn't able to cooperate in the investigation, and yet she does. I remember a couple other mysteries that featured detectives in dire straits. One featured a "bedridden" aging woman (by the highly underappreciated genius Peter Dickinson) . In another, the sleuth was a multiply disabled wheelchair user and it was pretty damn brilliant. A third featured a private eye who, I think, was comatose. That I don't remember it says enough. The word "gimmick" might come to mind, but not here.
I did have some issues with the communication situation. Having worked with numerous disabled people with communication disorders, I felt that McCone had a number of options never offered her that would not have been so exhausting. But this is specialized knowledge very few people come across.
It's a fascinating puzzle. It's written very well - the changes in narrator work well - Muller knows her characters and their voices and their personalities. It's cool to "hear" them this way. It was not an easy book to read, and in another's hands, it would have been a mess. But this is Marcia Muller. It worked. Completely.
- Andi Shechter
IN THE GUISE OF MERCY
WENDY HORNSBY
Perseverance Press Trade PBO 9/09
ISBN: 978-1-56474-482-1
You're glad you were nowhere around when I opened the package from Perseverance Press a few weeks back. On that list I maintain of "mystery characters I most enjoy reading about" well, there's Sookie Stackhouse, Lily Bard and Sharon McCone. Carlotta Carlyle and Bill Gastner. Julian Kestrel. Madeline Dare. Lydia Chin and Bill Smith. And Maggie MacGowen.
IN THE GUISE OF MERCY is the first Maggie MacGowen book since A HARD LIGHT ten years ago. It has the most stunning first chapter I've read in a book in a long time.
What's hugely likeable about this book is its tone of utter authenticity. We're not talking serial killers here, or psychopaths. We're not privy to the thoughts of the killer nor are we dealing with brilliant, albeit sleuths with massive flaws and lots of baggage. But we have an investigative journalist with, granted, some ties that most reporters don't have to the LAPD, but also we learn about the coroner's office, about prison visits and about Los Angeles in ways that come across to me as wholly realistic and wholly authentic. This is how people behave, act. That a crooked cop is part of the mix is bound to put some backs up, and it's not always easy to know who to trust. The ways that drugs damage the lives of every day people - not all users and pushers, but regular folks, some who made stupid decisions, some of whom were just trying to make it.
Maggie's easy to get to know and she talks with anyone and everyone in her quest to learn what happened to Jesús Ramón, a kid who simply disappeared. I have a little problem with all the people who seem to recognize her - I mean, a famous documentary film-maker? I can't name two, and Ken Burns isn't exactly on the same beat. But then I watch little television; maybe if I paid more attention, I'd know. One very likable thing about Maggie is her ability to befriend without complications. She has as many male friends as female, works as well with the men in her business as she does the women. That's important. It is to me. It speaks of realism and grown-up behavior, not petty jealousies. I like that she loves her camera guy and there is no hint of "relationship" between them. This is my world and I like it that way. Maybe I'm going on about that but there are too many stories I read where men and women can't be friends. Nonsense.
It's not the most captivating mystery to me, I admit. The disappearance of a kid - oh I feel awful admitting that it doesn't grab me, but I just did not relate all that well to the situation. The supporting cast, the surrounding individuals, the crooked cops and the iffy ones, the straight shooters and the hookers, the dealers and the friends came through and those were the people who interested me the most. It's a very good story. And a very good, and welcome book. Good to see you back, Maggie.
- Andi Shechter
WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS
DEBORAH GRABIEN
Minotaur Books September, 2009
Rock stars are different from you and me. I had hoped that wasn't true, but they live at a faster, louder, more dramatic level, at least from what I read in this series by Deborah Grabien.
Grabien's got the chops to tell this story and I really appreciate that reality. The series features JP Kinkaid, English ex-pat, guitarist for one of the world's most famous rock bands, Blacklight. Sure you remember them! (That is how it feels, and that's very well done.) Kinkaid now lives in an old Victorian home in San Francisco with Bree, the love of his life, and he tries to balance real life with world tours and the impact of multiple sclerosis on his life. He has it all, but like any ordinary human being he has his worries, his insecurities.
In this second book in the series, Kinkaid's doing a favor for some friends by sitting in with their band, the Bombadiers. No one's very fond of their new singer, Vinny, but when someone ends up dead, smashed over the head with a fabulous guitar, you have to care. Callous though it sounds, hell, you have to at least care about the damn guitar.
I liked the first book in this series a lot. In this one, everything seemed overly dramatic, even when it was fairly mundane. Everyone seems to operate at a higher, louder, faster level than regular everyday life requires. In the midst of JP's nasty symptoms and drug regimen, which can leave him doped up or feeling a range of nasty effects, Bree, his partner, lover and support team has a health crisis of her own. And even that seems to take place at full volume. At one point, when folks are trying to get her to calm down, she responds not just by saying "I'm ok," but insistently going on and on about it, five sentences when one would do. I think everyone goes on and on in this subculture. Everything is Very Dramatic. It gets old fast. But no one within the community notices it because it's the speed at which they all operate.
Maybe I'm jealous. Not of the rock and roll "lifestyle" but of Bree. After all, she's pretty damn perfect. She's tall (even more so with high heels and she has a bit of a high heel thing going on), she's got beautiful red hair, wears amazing clothing, which always flatters her, is a great chef, fabulous responsive lover, is madly in love with JP (who is madly in love with her after well over twenty years), takes care of her man and keeps secrets that might upset him. She's intense, gracious, courteous, helpful and everyone who knows her loves her. Her hyper-emotional reactions to things, her speeches when she could just shorten things strike me as drama queen tactics. (Five or six sentences are sure to draw the attention you claim you don't want). But drama is the name of the game here.
And JP? If you carried a water bottle with you, in the glove compartment of the Jag, or in a jacket pocket, then Bree would not have to spend time fetching you water for your pills. (Who are you, Simon St. James? Why are you so hard on yourself/inconsiderate of your lover?) As a couple dealing with some heavy stuff, you two need to get it together, get organized. You'll be dealing with this disease the rest of your life - make it easier on both of you.
The narrative flows well and while I get a tad weary of JP's use of Britslang. it sounds right on him. Grabien juggles numerous characters well, is exactly on target giving us JP's voice, and that of Mac, Patrick, Bree and others and it does help me "hear" them in my head. I get a little lost in the technical discussions and felt bad at shrugging metaphorically at "a 200 watt Dumble, with a Matchless double stack behind it". Guitar junkies and rock fans know what's going on and it does not take away from what I'm reading, but I feel ignorant and lost at times. (I can do this with figure skating jargon and bore you to tears.)
I guess I'm a little disappointed, as I had hopes for the everyday reality of this series. JP Kinkaid is a really well-written complex character. His living with MS is fascinating and Grabien covers it well. And there is a hell of a lot of drama in living the life of a rock star, especially one who's survived all that JP has -- drug addiction, a heart attack, the crazy hours, behavior, travel on a rock tour -- but some stuff is just... stuff, and it would nice if it were portrayed that way. There will always be time for drama.
- Andi Shechter
RED, GREEN OR MURDER
STEVEN F. HAVILL
Poisoned Pen Press November, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-59058-665-5
Oh yay, Bill Gastner's back among us. He's not good at this whole semi-retired business, and I'm glad of it. Not that he didn't deserve retirement, but it just doesn't suit him. Like he didn't know that.
I've been going on for some years about Havill and why the heck he's not a bigger name in publishing. I was thrilled to read that in 2011, Left Coast Crime, a major regional mystery convention (and one I have close ties to, having chaired two of them and having been honored myself) will be honoring Havill as one of their two guests of honor. Joining him as guest of honor will be the excellent Margaret Coel).
Good. Now we'll get some attention for this excellent author. His two main characters are the overweight, insomniac, slow-talking and quietly observant Gastner, and the savvy, ambitious (but in a good way) caring, overworked Estelle Reyes-Guzman. A few books back, Havill retired his Gastner character and deftly turned the work over to Reyes-Guzman, but here Bill is back to help and the two of them, as always, offering an intelligent, deft, warm and on occasion humorous story. Estelle lives with a doctor and her two children - one a musical prodigy - and must balance home and care for her family with care for her community. It's a small place in a large place - fictional Posadas County in New Mexico. Everyone knows everyone.
Nor surprisingly, an aging friend of Gastner's, George Payton, is found dead in his kitchen. But the scene does not look right. It's hard not to just let it go, but when you've got the smarts and the skills, even when a friend dies, you investigate. The investigation gets complicated when a man and his boss' equipment simply disappear. There are lots of places to hide things in southern New Mexico, but Gastner and Reyes-Guzman know their county.
Lots of series get tired. We fans find fault, don't like the premise, the setting doesn't work. It's a big deal for me to be able to say that Havill has never disappointed. I cherish that - this is a talent to be reckoned with.
- Andi Shechter