Mystery/Thriller Book Reviews
Page Six of SevenMurder Olé by Corinne Holt Sawyer
Fawcett Crest, April 1998.Paperback, 260 pages.
ISBN: 0449000346.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
The residents of the plush retirement community
Camden-sur-Mer want for nothing -- except maybe a little
excitement. So they decide to take several day trips to
Tijuana, just over the border from nearby San Diego.
The trip seems to be going fine with everyone enjoying the
festivities associated with The Day of the Dead, or Halloween
in the U.S., when one of the more irritating residents dies
of a heart attack on a carnival ride. Then, on the second
trip another of the tour party is murdered on a lonely
beach in Ensenada. At that point amateur senior sleuths
Caledonia Wingate and Angela Benbow decide to take
matters into their own hands and find out what exactly
is going on. With a tourbus full of suspects and yet a third
trip to Mexico in the offing, the two intrepid friends
will find enough mystery and intrigue to chase away
any retirement home blues they may have been feeling.
This is the 7th adventure for Angela and Caledonia, who keep getting better and better as time goes on. The characters are spirited, not cliched and the travelogue will make readers want to pick up the phone and book their next trip to Mexico. An excellent, lighthearted and fun adventure.
No Place For Sin by Sherry Lewis
Berkley Prime Crime, Dec., 1997.Paperback, 252 pages.
ISBN: 0425161137.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
At 73, widower Fred Vickery feels lucky to be in good health
(well, except for that pesky cholesterol report) and to live
in the charming small town of Cutler, Colorado. If only his
nosy son weren't insistent that he give up his house and move
into some retirement home! But Fred has no intention of leaving
Cutler, of giving up his favorite meal of country fried
steak, mashed potatoes and cream gravy, or of giving up his
favorite hobby -- acting as an amateur sleuth. So when the obnoxious
Lenore Irvine is found dead after a nasty brawl at the Copper
Penny over the controversial issue of whether legalized gambling
should be brought to Cutler, Fred decides to poke his nose in and investigate,
whether or not the Sheriff likes it. But Fred gets more than
he bargained for when the trail leads straight to his
good for nothing son-in-law and his daughter begs him to
help clear her husband's name. Caught in a trap of
conflicting loyalties and danger from a murderer who
won't hesitate to kill again, Fred will have to use
all his accumulated years of experience to find the
murderer and heal the painful wounds of his
daughter's disastrous marriage.
Seventy-something Fred Vickery is a likeable hero with a crusty and somewhat grumpy exterior and a wise, kind and unexpectedly brave heart underneath. His struggles with growing older and dealing with his domineering son and his unhappy daughter are dealt with in a sensitive, yet realistic manner. With an interesting plot and diverse characters, No Place for Sin is a welcome addition to this fine series.
Mystery Reviews
Page One | Page Two | Page Three | Page Four
Page Five | Page Six | Page Seven
Return to the May 1998 issue of The IWJ.
More from Writers Write