Mystery/Thriller Book Reviews
Page Four of FourMalice in Miniature by Jeanne M. Dams
Walker, October 1998.Hardcover, 228 pages.
ISBN: 0802733220.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
American Dorothy Martin has finally married Chief
Constable Alan Nesbit and they have settled down to
married life in the fictional town of Sheresbury, England.
But, naturally enough, things don't remain quiet for long.
Dorothy, being the inveterate snoop that she is, is bound to
stumble onto a local mystery before long.
This time, her gardener, Bob, has been accused of the theft
of a priceless antique miniature tea set from the miniature
museum where he works. While visiting the famous
Brocklesby Hall which houses the museum, Dorothy
meets the curious caretaker, Sir Mordred Brocklesby. Sir
Mordred is obsessed with his miniature museum, and
has even let the great house fall into disrepair in order
to keep up the collection which houses a number of
dollhouses from different time periods, all completely
furnished. Dorothy manages to clear Bob of the theft, but
soon another problem arises: murder. It is up to Dorothy
to find a murderer and solve an intriguing puzzle which
seems to center around Brocklesby Hall and its inhabitants.
Jeanne Dams has created a wonderful world with her Dorothy Martin series. Dorothy is an endearing heroine with her good hearted snooping and her dazzling collection of hats for every occasion. The characters are vivid and the fictional town of Sheresbury and its inhabitants is a charming creation. Another winner from the talented Jeanne M. Dams.
--Claire E. White
The Silent Cry by Anne Perry
Ivy Books, September 1998.Paperback, 356 pages.
ISBN: 0804117934.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Brooding investigator William Monk and the bold,
passionate Nurse Hester Latterly are back in this eighth
entry in the series which uses the dark side of Victorian
England with its rookeries, tenements and sweatshops as a
backdrop for stories which dissect and comment on the
hypocrisy and social injustice of the era. Middle aged,
respectable solicitor Leighton Duff is found beaten to death
in one of England's worst areas; beside him lies his son, Rhys,
so terribly injured that he cannot speak. Nurse Hester is hired to
nurse Rhys back to health. The police suspect Rhys of the murder
of his father and Hester hires barrister Rathbone and private
investigator Monk to defend him. Monk is also busy on a
case trying to find a group of well-heeled gentlemen who
beat and rape prostitutes in the notorious Seven Dials district
of the city. The two cases become inexorably intertwined,
placing Hester in the unenviable position of suspecting her
own patient of murder.
The Silent Cry is classic Perry, full of vivid, well-wrought descriptions, snappy dialogue and a true sense of brooding menace. The interaction between Hester and Monk is engaging, and the criticism of the hypocrisy of Victorian England and its mores is wrapped in a pleasing blanket of intrigue and hidden passions. Another gem from a master of the subgenre.
--Claire E. White
Survival of the Fittest by Jonathan Kellerman
Bantam Books, November 1998.Paperback, 519 pages.
ISBN: 0553572326.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
When the daughter of an Israeli
diplomat is murdered and the
diplomat is unwilling to allow
any publicity that could help the police
fish out the killer, LAPD detective
Milo Sturgis
turns to Alex Delaware, his
psychologist friend and expert on serial killers.
The girl murdered was retarded
and partially deaf.
There was no sexual abuse
apparent and the child was murdered
by "gentle strangulation." Delaware believes
the killing was still sexual in nature, even though
no such evidence was found. When another
similar killing occurs, the pace quickens
as Delaware realizes that the serial
killer's murdering frequency is
increasing.
With the help of Daniel Sharavi, an Israeli
Detective hired by the diplomat, their investigation
leads to a Mensa-like organization,
in which one or more of its members
may be preying on the retarded
because they see them as inferior.
Alex continues on the dangerous
path, becoming involved in an undercover
operation, to try to
find who committed
the murders, before the body
count rises again.
This is a great novel full of plot twists, crime details and frightening scenarios. Kellerman adds historical interest to the novel with facts and anecdotes about eugenicists from recent history. Another fantastic entry in the Delaware series that series fans and new readers alike will enjoy.
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