Salt Rock Mysteries

Rating:
Summary: A true mystery novel
Review: A book that is hard to put down. Remarkably powerful language, precise description of characters and the suspense is almost palpable. A vicious and confusing plot in a wonderful island setting. Once again a mystery novel with a surprising end. This novel is also available in German "Das Geheimnis des Salzfelsens"- auch hier ein Buch das man ungern weglegt. Ausserordentliche Sprache, präzise Beschreibung der Personen und fast spürbare Spannung. Eine bösartige und verwirrende Handlung eingepackt in eine wunderbare Inselwelt. Wieder einmal ein Krimi mit einem überraschenden Ende.

Rating:
Summary: Caribbean adventure
Review: In the mid-1980s, Janet travels to one of the islands in the Turks & Caicos group to do research on the island's history. She befriends Michelle, an unhappy married woman, and the two are more and more drawn to each other. When Janet stumbles on Michelle's brother's dead body, she finds herself drawn into a convoluted mystery of hidden agendas, political corruption, and blackmail. She continues her research and finds some rather intriguing information about one of the famous denizens (which reminded me of Patricia Powell's "The Pagoda"). Like the other reviewers, I found the book fascinating, as well as sensual and compelling. The love affair doesn't end happily, rather hopeful.

Rating:
Summary: Caribbean adventure
Review: In the mid-1980s, Janet travels to one of the islands in the Turks & Caicos group to do research on the island's history. She befriends Michelle, an unhappy married woman, and the two are more and more drawn to each other. When Janet stumbles on Michelle's brother's dead body, she finds herself drawn into a convoluted mystery of hidden agendas, political corruption, and blackmail. She continues her research and finds some rather intriguing information about one of the famous denizens (which reminded me of Patricia Powell's "The Pagoda"). Like the other reviewers, I found the book fascinating, as well as sensual and compelling. The love affair doesn't end happily, rather hopeful.

Rating:
Summary: Salt Rock not worth its salt
Review: This would be mystery reads like a bad romance novel ... with a heavy dose of feminist rhetoric sprinkled in. To call this book a mystery is indeed a mystery worthy of world class sleuths. When Janet, a mid-western college professor comes to a small Caribbean island to research a book, she falls in love with Michelle, a beautiful but dangerous islander. Along the way she stumbles onto some hidden family secrets, a couple of dead bodies, a drug ring, political [evilness] and a little bit of [alternative lifestyle activity]. Most of the time it feels like the author wrote a book about ... romance and threw in a couple of corpses so that it would fit on the "mystery" shelf in the book store. The many pieces to the puzzle just don't seem to fit together, and even the [physical activity] lacks spice because it's more talk than action ... The most unforgivable part of the book is that the author gives away one of the major "surprises" in the forward of the book. That's right, before you even turn to page 1 you've already got a good idea how the book ends. But even without this tip of the hand you would have known the conclusion. The author practically hits you over the head with so many blatant hints that by the end the only surprise is that you actually kept reading it.

Rating:
Summary: Salt Rock not worth its salt
Review: This would be mystery reads like a bad romance novel ... with a heavy dose of feminist rhetoric sprinkled in. To call this book a mystery is indeed a mystery worthy of world class sleuths. When Janet, a mid-western college professor comes to a small Caribbean island to research a book, she falls in love with Michelle, a beautiful but dangerous islander. Along the way she stumbles onto some hidden family secrets, a couple of dead bodies, a drug ring, political [evilness] and a little bit of [alternative lifestyle activity]. Most of the time it feels like the author wrote a book about ... romance and threw in a couple of corpses so that it would fit on the "mystery" shelf in the book store. The many pieces to the puzzle just don't seem to fit together, and even the [physical activity] lacks spice because it's more talk than action ... The most unforgivable part of the book is that the author gives away one of the major "surprises" in the forward of the book. That's right, before you even turn to page 1 you've already got a good idea how the book ends. But even without this tip of the hand you would have known the conclusion. The author practically hits you over the head with so many blatant hints that by the end the only surprise is that you actually kept reading it.

Rating:
Summary: tropical excitement
Review: Tropical heat, murder, drugs and love all compete in this tale of secrets past and present.
A thoroughly satisfying read, the book carries you off to the Caribbean with a cast of characters that stay with you long after you've closed the covers.