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Foul Weather

Foul Weather

List Price: $22.99
Your Price: $22.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "Foul Weather" A Bright Thriller
Review: "She lay slightly to one side, long legs twisted beneath her, her upper body an atrocity of rent fabric and congealed black blood. One hand, its nails well shaped and polished, displayed a high school class ring with a ruby at its center.
It had been the girl's senior year" (11)

Thus begins the mysterious saga of murders that plagued the quiet, small town appropriately named New Albion. Mary Ann Larson's first novel, "Foul Weather," explodes with an intricately woven, suspenseful plot and vivid, precise details. Affable, earthy characters and the inclusion of an old Indian legend add immeasurably to the "whodunit" tale.

The plot itself has several absolutely surprising twists and turns. Anneka, the guidance counselor at the local high school, becomes the target of someone who is also murdering students at the school. Who will be the next victim, why the murders occur, and ultimately who is the murderer drives the reader forward. Obvious clues become not quite so obvious as implications expand. The conclusion is rather unexpected. Even the most intuitive reader will be impressed.

The characters are very real people with both insight and depth, next-door neighbor types who suddenly find themselves in a horrific mess. Anneka; her love interest, nicknamed Spinner; her best friends, the Lemonade Ladies-all offer charming, unique perspectives on the mess. The Lemonade Ladies are especially provocative additions. For example, Nancy-George Geoffreys (nicknamed appropriately No Good) struggles in bad relationships with boyfriends. On the other hand, rather bizarre characters with "special secrets" float everywhere in the book: Nate Dupray, sexy bad boy; John Clayton, straight A model citizen; Jamie Clayton, possible child molester, and even Lou Wagoneer, ignoble history, teacher are just a few of the possible killers.

The setting, New Albion, and the horrible storms that blow into the coves on the Northwest coast create a powerful backdrop for the fiction. So too does the addition of an intriguing myth about a young Indian woman who was killed by the tribe for giving birth to an illegitimate baby. According to the local Indian tribes, the tribes' elders and her ghost still roam the sea walk and the coves. Suddenly the creak of a door or an ear-shattering bolt of lightening sucks the reader deeper into the tale.

"Foul Weather" is a delightful read. Above all, Ms. Larson offers a superb use of language and metaphor that allows the story to move swiftly. The repartee among the Lemonade Ladies and Spinner is especially clever. The setting and the myth add important captivating detail. If you want to curl up on a sofa with a great read, this is a fine book; just make sure the weather is fair.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "Foul Weather" A Bright Thriller
Review: "She lay slightly to one side, long legs twisted beneath her, her upper body an atrocity of rent fabric and congealed black blood. One hand, its nails well shaped and polished, displayed a high school class ring with a ruby at its center.
It had been the girl's senior year" (11)

Thus begins the mysterious saga of murders that plagued the quiet, small town appropriately named New Albion. Mary Ann Larson's first novel, "Foul Weather," explodes with an intricately woven, suspenseful plot and vivid, precise details. Affable, earthy characters and the inclusion of an old Indian legend add immeasurably to the "whodunit" tale.

The plot itself has several absolutely surprising twists and turns. Anneka, the guidance counselor at the local high school, becomes the target of someone who is also murdering students at the school. Who will be the next victim, why the murders occur, and ultimately who is the murderer drives the reader forward. Obvious clues become not quite so obvious as implications expand. The conclusion is rather unexpected. Even the most intuitive reader will be impressed.

The characters are very real people with both insight and depth, next-door neighbor types who suddenly find themselves in a horrific mess. Anneka; her love interest, nicknamed Spinner; her best friends, the Lemonade Ladies-all offer charming, unique perspectives on the mess. The Lemonade Ladies are especially provocative additions. For example, Nancy-George Geoffreys (nicknamed appropriately No Good) struggles in bad relationships with boyfriends. On the other hand, rather bizarre characters with "special secrets" float everywhere in the book: Nate Dupray, sexy bad boy; John Clayton, straight A model citizen; Jamie Clayton, possible child molester, and even Lou Wagoneer, ignoble history, teacher are just a few of the possible killers.

The setting, New Albion, and the horrible storms that blow into the coves on the Northwest coast create a powerful backdrop for the fiction. So too does the addition of an intriguing myth about a young Indian woman who was killed by the tribe for giving birth to an illegitimate baby. According to the local Indian tribes, the tribes' elders and her ghost still roam the sea walk and the coves. Suddenly the creak of a door or an ear-shattering bolt of lightening sucks the reader deeper into the tale.

"Foul Weather" is a delightful read. Above all, Ms. Larson offers a superb use of language and metaphor that allows the story to move swiftly. The repartee among the Lemonade Ladies and Spinner is especially clever. The setting and the myth add important captivating detail. If you want to curl up on a sofa with a great read, this is a fine book; just make sure the weather is fair.


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