Theoretically Dead

Rating:
Summary: Tinker Marks is great!
Review: I appreciate it when a mystery writer can combine a truly complex whodunnit with character development, humor, and humanity. This Tinker Marks book has it all! I cracked up at some of the one-liners; too many to single one out. I did guess the perp fairly early on, but didn't guess the motive, yet it made perfect sense. Only problem I had was how much of a door mat Claire is for Emma. Nothing's perfect, but I'm already looking forward to the next book by this talented husband/wife team.

Rating:
Summary: Tinker Marks is great!
Review: I couldn't disagree more with the previous reviewer and I'm a lesbian myself. In fact I suspect that the woman in the heterosexual married couple who wrote Theoretically Dead may be more bi than straight, but I'm just guessing. It sure seems as if they've gotten their information about lesbians correct from somewhere. And it sounds as if the person who wrote the review is just upset at the idea of a heterosexual couple daring to write about lesbians. Anyway, my partner gave me this book for my birthday and it is great! I figured out the mystery right toward the end, based on the clues, which is my favorite kind of mystery. And I thought it was so funny, which is also my favorite kind of mystery, and a type so lacking in the genre. Theoretically Dead was much funnier than the other mysteries I've read that are supposed to be funny, with the exception possibly of Crispin, a British mystery writer of a totally different style. Finally, I thought there was some real meaning to the subplot about Clair and Emma. It touches on our society's mixed up attitudes about genetically-related children versus children who are not genetically related, a very important issue for many in our society, and for many in the GLB community. I recommend this book highly.

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Summary: Disappointed in Rochester, NY
Review: I found this book rather disapointing and would not recommend anyone to purchase it. After reading this I couldn't help but feel that the author knew nothing about lesbian relationships or for that matter relationships in general.

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Summary: Their "Tinkering" Misses the Mark.
Review: I tried. How I tried. I've kept it around for more than a year, opened it, started reading, but I still can't bear to read more than the first 5 pages. It's just plain awful. Interesting that one reviewer mentioned that it seems "Tinker Marks", the author, knows nothing about lesbian life--the back cover of the book depicts its two authors--a straight (?!), self-proclaimed husband and wife writing team. You see, "Tinker Marks" is just the pen name they use. I would like to thank New Victoria publishers for giving us lesbian life according to heterosexual couples--I'm touched. Despite the fact that the authors have "dared" to write about lesbians (I guess that's one way to get published when all else fails)the book is poorly written and will bore your socks off. There are plenty of terrific novels about lesbians written by lesbians. I highly recommend exploring them.

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Summary: Well-Drawn Characters Inhabit Witty Campus Mystery
Review: Theoretically Dead is a most engaging read. A Philosophy conference on the campus of a small midwestern college provides a setting ripe with possibilities for murder. Academic rivalries, love, loyalty, and professional ambitions all come into play when a distiguished, but eccentric, philosopher turns up dead.

Whereas the notion of following the shenanigans of a cadre of philosophers at an academic conference might seem dry to some readers, the charming but beleaguered narrator keeps the tone light and the perspective amusingly mundane. We are put at ease by her own admission of disinterest in the subject.

Theoretically Dead provides a refreshingly personal view of academic life. It peels away the academic stereotypes and presents individuals with distinguished professional careers and quirky insecurities. The characters are well drawn, and they linger in your mind.

The Midwestern college setting provides a rich sense of place that reminds me of A Cunning Man or The Rebel Angel by Robertson Davies. Tinker Marks is clearly at home on campus.

Like a good Miss Marple tale, this mystery snares the reader more out of curiosity than out of dramatic tension. I found myself taking off from work early to get back to the book. The crime's resolution was both surprising and satisfying. I was able to deduce the who of the whodunnit, as I usually do. I missed by a mile on the why. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Rating:
Summary: Theoretically Dead
Review: Tinker Mark's book happens right here in Iowa....with references to my hometown. The two main characters were real in their every day emotions and life. As a whodunit...it kept me waiting until it was almost too late. Imagine running all over town trying to keep a test tube frozen! And then the humanitarian side where they assist their elderly neighbors in coping with a gay son. It was suspenseful, funny, and heartwarming. Loved it.

Rating:
Summary: The funniest mystery I ever read!!
Review: Tinker Marks is a nom de plume for a husband and wife professor team, Mark Montgomery and Irene Powell. Both are professors of economics at Grinnell College.

For anyone working in the field of academics, whether as an academic themselves or in a support staff capacity, there is much to make fun of. Montgomery and Powell use a Philosophy Department conference as the setting for this hilariously funny, ribald and comedic mystery. Using the name of Erik Weber (pronounced "Vee-bur" in true Teutonic form), this husband and wife team pull out all the stops to make for a delightful cosy thriller.

Set at Hammond College (all names are meticulously close to the mark while still being fictitious), Professor Claire Sinclair, professor of economics and lesbian mate of famed philosopher Emma Harrington, finds herself in the middle of a theater of the absurd murder mystery as she strives to stay as far away as possible from Emma's upcoming conference. This conference, of course, may make or break Emma's chance at a new chair, which would enable her to continue her appointment at Hammond. As the administration strive to deal with keeping public relations under control after Professor Weber's body is found, Claire finds herself pulled deeper and deeper into the quagmire:

"Claire,' Jack said, I guess that leaves you as the logical choice to talk to the media. Would you be wiling to do that?' I couldn't believe my ears. Would I be willing to run a press conference on the subject of Weber's death? Hell no, I wouldn't! I didn't have anything to do with Philosophy, I didn't have any knowledge of Weber's life, and I didn't have any experience dealing with the press. On the other hand, I didn't have tenure."

The Tinker Marks team does a first rate job of creating an enjoyable and witty mystery which plumbs the depths of the academic world. While Claire stumbles through the mess constantly created by her "adorable" partner, Emma, we find a touching love story mixed with the consternation of dealing with people who have been trained to focus on one thing...themselves. The plot thickens nicely, and the Marks team effectively lead the reader through a labyrinth.

Shelley Glodowski, Reviewer