Mystery/Thriller Book Reviews
Page Two of SixGoing Out in Style by Joyce Christmas
Fawcett Gold Medal, June 1998.Paperback, 181 pages.
ISBN: 0449150100.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
The elegant and charming Lady Margaret Priam has made
a home for herself in Manhattan with a busy social calendar,
good friends and an up and down relationship with New York
homicide detective Sam de Vere. But lately Margaret has been
feeling like her life is missing something -- something she
isn't finding in the society whirl of New York. Although she
has scores of social acquaintances, one of her only truly close friends
is Dianne Stark, a former airline stewardess whose marriage to
real estate tycoon Charlie Stark catapulted her to the top of
the New York social scene. Margaret is concerned when her
friend starts receiving threatening letters but can't get her friend
to talk. But when Dianne's look-alike sister is shot
in front of Dianne's home and Dianne disappears, Lady Margaret
decides to investigate. What she finds is a tangled knot of
relationships which could lead to another murder: that of Lady
Margaret herself. She also discovers some revealing truths about
herself which could have profound effects on her life.
Going Out in Style is an excellent addition to this wonderful series starring British expatriate Lady Margaret Priam. The upper strata of New York society in which Lady Margaret moves provides a fascinating backdrop for the mystery and for Lady Margaret's witty and wry observations of the sometimes shallow (but glamorous!) world in which she lives. Christmas is at her best when she's skewering the pretensions of the glitterati and her hilarious observations of the foibles of the party set are dead on. Fans of the series will be entranced by some of the revelations about Margaret's own past and new readers will be captivated by the wonderful characters and entertaining commentary. With the finely drawn characterizations and sparkling dialogue that are Christmas' trademarks Going Out in Style is a wonderful escape from the everyday world.
--Claire E. White
Death, Lies and Apple Pies by Valerie S. Malmont
Simon and Schuster, Aug., 1997.Hardcover, 220 pages.
ISBN: 0684801892.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
New York City horror novelist and amateur
sleuth Tori Miracle is back in her second adventure,
after solving the murder of her best friend's husband
in the tiny town of Lickin Creek. When Tori decides
to return to Lickin Creek to visit her new flame,
Sherrif Garnet Gachenauser, the last thing she expects
is for a man to die in her arms after telling her he was
poisoned. Now Tori is plunged once more into small
town politics as the town debates the new nuclear waste
disposal project planned for the town and into danger
as she seeks a murderer in the seemingly friendly town
which hides a multitude of secrets.
Death, Lies and Apple Pies is a satisfying second outing in the series. The theme of a small town which has a friendly face and hidden secrets makes for a fast, interesting storyline and readers will be guessing "who done it" until the very end of the tale.
Return to the June 1998 issue of The IWJ.
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