Back to Salem

Rating:
Summary: Guaranteed to keep you guessing 'till the very end!
Review: A gender-bending thriller guaranteed to please!

Ever since I have discovered the incredible writing of author, Alex Marcoux, I have to admit - many hours have been lost in her books. Her debut novel, Facades, was an absolute jewel and I quickly crowned it an all-time favorite. Now it's time to dust off the "favorite" shelf and make room for Marcoux's latest offering, Back to Salem. Ladies, this book is nothing short of fantastic! It should come with a disclaimer: "Warning - reading this book may cause you to become lost for hours in the world of Alex Marcoux." It's just that good.

As she skillfully did in Facades, Marcoux has created another cast of characters you won't soon forget. Her strength in characterization is again evident in Back to Salem - these people are full-bodied and real. As the characters lived and breathed their emotions on the page, so did I, feeling their pain, their anguish, their anger, and passion. Marcoux's writing is a real feast for the reader who enjoys rich, full-flavored characters. You won't be disappointed!

The paranormal plot is definitely different than your standard-fare lesbian novel. This is a book to be enjoyed by all people - not just the lesbian audience. I sent a copy home to my Mom, who is straight, and she simply loved it. If you're looking for a book typical of past lesbian novels, where the protagonist has sex every 15 pages and a new love each chapter, forget this book, it's not for you. But if you're looking for rich characters, intriguing storylines, and provocative situations, you'll fall in love with Back to Salem just like I did. In fact, if you want to see how good the novel is, click on our "Excerpts" link below and judge for yourself. Alex was kind enough to provide excerpts of Back to Salem for our readers, as well as other laudatory quotes from others who loved the book as well. Now, on with the review . . .

Ever experience a moment of déjà vu? That fleeting caress of familiarity that brushes against your mind, but dismissed as nothing or simply coincidence? After reading Back to Salem, you'll think twice before dismissing those feelings. Or, as the little voice in the book says, you'll soon learn, "There's no such thing as coincidence." This gender-bending thriller is chock full of such moments as it spans centuries, from the witch trials in Salem to present-day Hollywood. Packed with unexpected twists and turns, lies and deceptions, and a love gone awry, there's not a dull moment here!

Jessie Mercer is a best-selling author who has it all - fame, fortune, and a best-selling murder mystery currently being made into a movie starring the alluring Taylor Andrews. Inexplicably, Jessie finds herself drawn to Taylor, although she has never met the singer, and is soon immersed in a mystical world she doesn't believe in. Steadfastly dismissing the events as coincidence, Jessie continues experiencing connections, finally breaking down to the point of consulting with a psychic. In a moment of clarity, Jessie learns some truths about the disturbing events she has experienced, yet feels she must put the past behind her and continue with her life. Or so she thinks.

A few years quietly pass, and suddenly Jessie is thrust in the middle of what she tried so desperately to put behind her - Taylor Andrews and that confounding connection. Passions rise as Jessie and Taylor find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another in a cosmic web of passion, treachery, and deception that began centuries ago. With her past standing right in front of her, Jessie finds herself torn between a love she felt so long ago and the present day reality of this cosmic connection: someone is stalking Taylor, vowing they will be together again. Allowing doubt and uncertainty to cloud her mind, Jessie desperately fights for the truth: Who is vowing to repay a karmic debt to Taylor? Or is Jessie the one who poses the real danger? Has the cycle of violence followed Jessie into this lifetime, threatening destruction, as it has so many times before?

As real-life events begin to mimic the movie Taylor is starring in, this is where the plot of Back to Salem really takes off. Murder, rekindled love, and a harrowing white-water rafting trip in the Grand Canyon are all part of the exciting journey Jessie takes to find out the truth. As the terror mounts, Jessie finally realizes she must go back - all the way back to Salem - where answers to the mystery unfold, before the evil from the past destroys her.

Rating:
Summary: Others have done it better
Review: After reading Alex Marcoux's Facades, I was really looking forward to her new book. But Back to Salem doesn't live up to the promise of Facades. Marcoux's plot is exciting with lots of twists and most of her characters are realistic. But I just didn't buy some of the elements of Back to Salem. I don't have to like all the characters in any book (disliking a villain, is part of the fun); but, as reviewer MJ Lowe mentioned, I was bothered by Taylor's "I'm not gay, I just love Jessie" thing. In Facades, Marcoux was willing to deal with tough issues about being a closeted lesbian as well as abuse issues. I can't understand why nobody confronts Taylor about it.

Generally, I think Salem does work better as a mystery than as a fantasy. The mystical elements aren't very well done. The "Salem connection" was okay, but I think the Isis connection doesn't fit historically in Salem. If Marcoux meant to imply a third reincarnation cycle, it didn't come across.

Frankly, the reincarnation theme has been done much better, with lesbian characters, by the likes of Laura Adams with the first of her Tunnel of Light novels, Sleight of Hand (the second of this series, Seeds of Fire is due out summer 2002). Or for that matter by Sarah Dreher with her Stoner McTavish mystery series which manages to be much more charming with Stoner as the "closet" psychic wondering through time, incarnations, and realities. None of these are "formula" novels with predetermined sex scenes either.

Rating:
Summary: Reads like a Hollywood action suspense movie
Review: For better and worse, Back to Salem reads like a Hollywood action suspense movie. The "better" part is that Back to Salem is fast paced and engaging reading with several plot twists that keep the reader guessing. The "worse" part that is that some of the themes are poorly presented; some plot lines are unnecessarily complicated (not to mention, a bit far fetched); and some character elements are annoying.

Jessie Mercer is an openly lesbian, best selling author and screen writer living near Los Angeles whose latest best selling book is to be made into a movie. This film interpretation is important to Jessie because this novel is different from her other books. The story practically wrote itself and for the first time she's written a novel with a lesbian as the leading character. In the novel's plot, a lesbian falls in love with a prominent actress whose husband is killed. The lesbian is framed and imprisoned for the murder. Jessie is pleased that she has been asked to help consult with the film's production.

Taylor Andrews, a popular singer, is auditioning for one of the lead roles in the movie. Taylor finds herself drawn to Jessie in a strangely intense attraction. Jessie has similar feelings and she believes she knows why. The two women become friends. Taylor will draw on that friendship after the sudden and suspicious death of her husband. Eventually Taylor surrenders to her "mystical" attraction to Jessie and the two become lovers. Meanwhile Jessie is a suspect in the death of Taylor's husband.

Annoyingly, Taylor repeatedly assures herself and others that she's not gay and isn't attracted to other women, just to Jessie. Loving Jessie is okay because Taylor comes to believe that she is her "soul mate." However unintentionally, this justification felt unnecessary and homophobic. If Taylor really isn't lesbian (or at least bi), surely she wouldn't consummate her feelings for Jessie in a sexual manner. Since she did (although the reader is only treated to oblique references and "PG rated kisses") doesn't that at least make Taylor bisexual in practice?

There are a number of interesting twists and the action moves quickly with several very dramatic revelations at the end. This reader is willing to suspend her disbelieve for a well spun story. Yet I can think of several examples of the reincarnation theme, some with lesbian characters, that have been done better --- with more plausible history and folklore, more humor, better romance, less homophobia, and more enchanting magic.-- Don't try to make all of the themes and threads make sense, because some are just too unlikely, like the Egyptian mythology and Colonial Salem connection. Some of these flaws are disappointing because they are the same ones made in Montegue's last novel. Having said that, Back to Salem is enjoyable if you think of it as a summer released action movie. It's fast paced and it makes a good book to take on vacation or read on the treadmill.

Rating:
Summary: The past holds the key
Review: I couldn't put "Back To Salem" down until I finished reading it! It's a romantic mystery with lots of plot twists and turns. Past lives in Salem, during the witch trials, hold the key to breaking the cycle of evil for Taylor and Jessie. A cliff hanger of a story until the very end! ...

Rating:
Summary: Refreshing
Review: I was expecting the typical lesbian mystery when I bought Back to Salem. Instead, I found a rare treat - a very creative and original story! Although complex in character and plot, the author pulls it off and keeps the pages turning. This one re-established my faith in lesbian fiction. I would recommend this one to anyone (straight or gay), unless you're looking for sex every chapter. Very intimate, romantic, tastefully done, and of course a great whodunit!

Rating:
Summary: A Rare Treat
Review: I was expecting the typical lesbian mystery when I bought Back to Salem. Instead, I found a rare treat - a very creative and original story! Although complex in character and plot, the author pulls it off and keeps the pages turning. This one re-established my faith in lesbian fiction. I would recommend this one to anyone (straight or gay), unless you're looking for sex every chapter. Very intimate, romantic, tastefully done, and of course a great whodunit!

Rating:
Summary: If you don't mind loose ends
Review: If you don't mind if loose ends are left untied and that multiple timelines end up not quite matching up and that one of the main characters "isn't really a lesbian" then the plot of this book will work for you. I read it about a year ago and was really lukewarm toward it. Parts were exciting but it didn't work as a whole. I can't believe it ended up getting some award nominations; there are some holes you can drive a truck through. Plus I didn't see how the Egyptian timeline meshed at all with the Salem one. I felt like this was a nice try, but as someone else says, others have done this plot better. I would recommend Laura Adams' Christabel (a romance not a mystery), which does the timeline thing really well.

Rating:
Summary: Refreshing
Review: It is refreshing to read a lesbian book with a great story and mystery and not just all about sex. Look forward to the next installment.

Rating:
Summary: Has It All
Review: This one has it all, a clever MYSTERY, a heart-filled ROMANCE, some HISTORY, an exciting ACTION ADVENTURE, and some interesting metaphysical lessons. GREAT MOVIE material! An exceptional story that keeps the reader interested.

Rating:
Summary: Best Whodunit in a long time
Review: When I bought 'Back to Salem,' I was expecting the same great romance that Marcoux wrote in her first novel, 'Facades.' I wasn't disappointed. 'Back to Salem' is original, creative and the best whodunit I've read in a long time, with a lovely romance that shows how love can last through the ages. Tastefully done! Marcoux knows how to move a book along. CANNOT WAIT for the next Jessie Mercer Mystery. This is one book that has changed the way I look at the world.