Description:
Penzler Pick, May 2001: One of the most original sleuths in mystery fiction is Elise Andrioli, who was introduced in Death from the Woods. Left a quadriplegic, blind, and mute after a bomb explosion, Elise spends her days confined to her wheelchair and listening to the world around her. We are privy to what she hears and what she thinks and, surprisingly, the results are never pitiful. Rather we are able to listen in to a witty, charming, and strong woman whose will is as strong as ever. After her first adventure (described in the first book), Elise and her maid and companion, Yvette, are headed for the mountains for some R&R. Elise has had another operation and she can now move one arm, but she is still unable to communicate except to write down her thoughts and her questions for others--if only they'll take the time to read them. Before leaving, Elise receives a fax from somebody who tells her he has become a big fan of hers after reading about her first adventure. She is concerned because the guy sounds like a lunatic, but, she reasons, all famous people are subject to hearing from people several sandwiches short of a picnic. However, when Elise arrives at the resort, she hears about a series of grisly murders and, when she is invited to visit a home for the handicapped, she is treated like a star. But the murders continue there. Worse, the murderer is there among the patients, whispering messages into Elise's ear. As in Death from the Woods, the stage is set. Elise is in danger but can't explain why, and the murderer inexplicably is using her as his/her confidante. Those around her who can see are in the company of the murderer, but there is no way Elise can separate the voices from the whispers she hears. Death from the Snows is harrowing, suspenseful, and, thanks to Elise's unique voice, which can only be read, extraordinarily funny. --Otto Penzler
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