East of Niece : A Sydney Sloane Mystery (Sydney Sloane Mystery)

Rating:
Summary: The Sixth in a Consistently Excellent Mystery Series
Review: I have read many, many mysteries and Sydney Sloane is at the top of my list: nail-biting suspense, wonderful characterization, terrific wit -- I have fallen in love with the characters in this series and I hope Lordon never stops writing about them.

Rating:
Summary: While vacationing in France
Review: Sydney Sloan and her lover Leslie visit Sydney's niece Vickie in France, only to find that Vickie is married, the husband's parents were murdered, and the husband is missing. Sydney of course becomes embroiled in finding Vickie's husband, and soon finds her own life in danger. The mystery-thriller elements of the story are rather great, but my disappointment lies with the nonexistent background details of France. If this were a movie, it would've been filmed on a Hollywood backdrop, far from France. And the explanations often come far after the reader has been asking questions, so it's a tad frustrating. Lordon's "East Of Niece" is a pretty good mystery, but it certainly doesn't stand out in a crowd.

Rating:
Summary: A great mystery
Review: Sydney Sloane hates travel because she believes a vacation is needed to recover from one's vacation. However, her friend and partner Leslie persuades her to visit Europe. Sydney makes it clear that she will stay in first class accommodations, conduct no inquiries, and use the services of her niece Vickie as a tour guide.

To Sydney's chagrin, she is stuck idling in a French traffic jam, something she can easily do in Manhattan. Sydney and Leslie find out that the accident that held her in traffic was caused when Missourian Jules Mason, accompanied by his wife, drove his rented Mercedes off the road. Both are dead and the police seek their son Gavin, as the vehicle Jules drove was tampered with. Gavin is missing, but to Sydney's chagrin, is secretly married to Vickie. Unable to resist, Sydney begins her investigation into the Mason family only to have an unknown assailant wanting her to cease and desist her snooping or join the Masons as dead overseas Americans.

The sixth Sydney Sloane mystery takes the wonderful Manhattan detective and successfully transplants her to France. The story line is fresh, quite amusing, and tres bien written as the plot is filled with just enough twists to enhance the plot. Sydney and Leslie are a dynamic duo and Vickie recognizes a great Aunt when she sees one. Award winning Randye Lordon deserves best selling status with EAST OF NIECE, a tale that sub-genre fans will appreciate.

Harriet Klausner