ISBN: 0553581724 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com
Half comedy of Southern manners, half a classic whodunit, this enjoyable frothy mystery has wit and eppaling characters.
Reviewed by David on November 27, 2004
Genre: Mystery (Humor, Romance, American South, Private Investigator)
Synopsis: Sarah Booth Delaney is a thirty-something scion of a prominent Mississippi family. Having stumbled in investigation of crimes, she has made it her source of income.
Lawrence Ambrose was once a celebrated author, and a friend of Sarah's late parents. His fame has faded somewhat, but his intention to write his memoirs has whipped the public interet to a boiling point. Ambrose's decades of knowledge of the famous and powerful, and his cutting wit promises a bestseller. It also promises to dig the bones of old scandals, secrets that some will go to any lengths to keep buried.
Full Review: As other books in the series, this is an enjoyable exploration of Southern society and all-too-human condition that afflicts it. The characters are well-drawn and entertaining, if a tad exaggerated. Sarah, her supporters and suspects all show multiple aspects and flaws, making them appealing or at least intriguing.
The subplot of Sarah's family ghost provides sometimes overpowering humor, but the overall experience is one of satisfyingly witty, if lightweight, detection.
Overall: 6; Plot: 5; Characters: 6; Style: 6; World-building: 6; Originality: 6;
Copyright date 2000, Bantam Dell (Delacorte Press), 2000, Mass-market paperback
ISBN: 0553581724 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com