Death of a Sunday Writer

Rating:
Summary: Death of a Mystery Plot
Review: After reading Death of a Sunday Writer, my desire to read a Canadian mystery novel is suffering a severe lack of vital signs.

Maybe I was mislead into believing this was a mystery novel - but believe me, there is not a shred of mystery between its glossy covers. Lack of details, lack of description, lack of suspense.

I was reminded of the stories I used to read in grade school - pleasant enough but not too demanding.

Rating:
Summary: Very pleasant
Review: I've always enjoyed Eric Wright's books, right from the beginning. And while Death of a Sunday Writer is worlds away from his Charlie Salter series, it is an engaging departure. It does resemble, in its initial premise, P. D. James's An Unsuitable Job For a Woman in that it has a female "inheriting" a detective agency. But that is the only resemblance. Lucy Brenner is middle-aged and in flight from a psychologically abusive, madly controlling husband--a figure that will be alarmingly familiar to female readers--although this husband is a viable creation in his own right and well depicted. Lucy is uncertain, feisty, overimaginative and altogether charming. The Toronto setting is nicely familiar to those of us who know the city well (and inviting to those who don't); the characters are originals--from Peter Tse, Lucy's new Chinese landlord with the cockney accent (a lovely touch) to the sundry racing types, and to Nina, Lucy's new city friend, who is in many ways Lucy's polar opposite and yet displays a believable concern and fondness for Lucy. Setting herself up to take over her late cousin's so-called detective agency, with nothing more than a curious nature and great common sense to assist her, the reader is rooting for her right the way through. This is an effortless, likeable book.
Recommended.