Whalebone Junction (Jules Fiore)

Rating:
Summary: WHALEBONE JUNCTION
Review: Julia Fiore, an unattached, Harley riding, iron pumping,
forty-five year old grandmother enjoys
her independent life on the beach with Finn, her Irish
Wolfhound. Much to the distress of her two grown
sons, she insists on managing her ten rental properties on
the Outer Banks her own way.

Life for Jules gets frustrating when Mark, her friend and
tenant turns up missing and his girlfriend
tearfully offers to pay the rent with a paper bag full of
crumpled cash. It gets shaken and she finds Mark's
body washed up on the beach not far from her apartment.
The police have a suspect in custody but Jules
isn't satisfied and needing answers, she starts looking for
Mark's killer

I found WHALEBONE JUNCTION to be a wonderfully
talented work. Bravely written in first person/present
tense, I was delighted with the way it flowed. The
images Ms. Stowe painted were masterfully written and
the
character rich story had me captivated. Jules became my
friend through this time in her life and I laughed,
gasped and cried with her. I look forward to seeing what
she gets into next and spending more time with her
in the sequel SOUTHERN SHORES.-----Lue Anne Adams

Rating:
Summary: Stowe's writing is sophisticated and artistic
Review: Kathleen Stowe is an animal, body building, and coastal enthusiast. She lives in Norfolk, Virginia with a husband and two cats. Her depth of experience includes training as a teacher, registered nurse, and a current stint as a flight attendant. Whalebone Junction is her first book, and she is presently at work on a sequel, South Shores. She has also published poems and short stories.

Jules Fiore owns several properties and lives on the beach with her dog Finn. She is forty-five years old, and is a body builder, partially to erase the feeling of helplessness from an abusive marriage that is now ended. But when she makes the rounds to collect unpaid rent, she discovers one of her renters is missing, until she and her handyman find his body washed up on the beach. His death begins a chain of events that find her searching for the pieces of this young man's life in an effort to understand his tragic murder:

"I wish I had learned something that explained why Mark is dead. All I've discovered is one more thing I should have known about him before he died: He loved his daughter. And as for Gloria, I think of the Ten Commandments. Father Laverty from the church down in Nags Head told me once that the accurate translation of the Fifth Commandment from Hebrew is 'Thou shalt not kill the innocent.' I can't vouch for his source on this matter, and my memory may be a little fuzzy since at the time of the discussion we were drinking beer at the Black Pelican and watching Notre Dame lose a football game."

Stowe strives for a mix between a murder mystery and a psychological analysis of why people allow a complete breakdown of morality into their lives. Her story isn't "churchy," however. In fact, it is mixed with just the right amount of middle-aged cynicism towards what Stowe herself describes as the "whatever" generation. Jules has grown children of her own, and they are kind and caring. What she sees is a new aberration. She gives voice to what many others see, abhor, and can't define. Jules becomes our champion of right and wrong; of rediscovering that moral compass. Stowe produces a bittersweet monologue in Jules' character that makes us all want to stand up and cheer. Jules is strong, vulnerable, capable, and totally lovable. Stowe's writing is sophisticated and artistic. We are there with her on the Outer Banks. A most enjoyable read.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

Rating:
Summary: Southern Mystery
Review: Set in North Carolina and Virginia, this author clearly knows her stuff! I found Jules Cogan engaging. A wonderfully independant yet sensitive middle aged woman. She's adventurous yet practical, warm and caring but still no pushover. You'll enjoy meeting her, fall in love with Finn (her Irish Wolfhound), and sail along with her on her Harley! I'm already anticipating what she gets into in her next book.