Deadly Discrimination

Rating:
Summary: Don't Miss This One
Review: In Deadly Discrimination, Lorie Ham has plotted an intriguing mystery involving a small-town preacher who faces the politics and ugly bigotry in a small California town and the same problems in his own church and even in the Christian radio station where he works part time. Unfortunately, many of the obstacles Pastor Mike must overcome are far too realistic. As usual, Lorie has written a compelling story.

Marilyn Meredith, author of the latest in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, Intervention.

Rating:
Summary: Topical mystery scores big
Review: Somebody has murdered the most unpopular businessman in Kingsbury. Most folks in this picturesque northern California town are content to believe it was a 17-year-old Latino boy with a police record. The boy's knife was found in the victim's back, and the murder took place soon after the businessman foreclosed on the boy's parents' business. But, if truth be told, the real reason most folks in Kingsbury are content to blame this particular suspect is because the boy is Latino.

Prejudice, you see, is as much a point of conflict as murder in Lorie Ham's latest mystery, DEADLY DISCRIMINATION. And that's what makes it so special, and one I highly recommend.

Fans of Ham's previous mysteries, MURDER IN FOUR PART HARMONY and THE TROUBLE WITH TENORS, may be saddened to learn that her gospel singing, single mom, crime solver Alexandra Walters does not appear in this new novel. If so, they won't be disappointed for long, because her new crime solver, Pastor Mike Raffles, is as tenacious and charming as Ms.Walters. It also won't hurt that Walters' private investigator boyfriend, Stephen Carlucci, is Pastor Mike's best friend and a major supporting character.

For once the murderer really is the last person you would expect, although Ham plays fair with the clues throughout the story. Ham also does an excellent job of presenting the kind of prejudice that can exist beneath the surface of even a quaint town as Kingsbury or in a so-called "enlightened" state as California, as well as the type of resistance that can arise and challenge bigotry when it is brought to light. Pastor Mike believes that most people, rather or not they are Christian, are good and will prove it if given a chance. In DEADLY DISCRIMINATION he puts his faith in people on the line, and, like a true hero, doesn't flinch from his beliefs even when things look their darkest.

The problem of illegal aliens is a hot button topic across the country, especially after President Bush's recent proposal to offer amnesty to illegals now working in the United States. What too many Americans once dismissed as a problem for Californians, Arizonans and Texans has become one that has and will continue to affect people throughout our country. In the months ahead there will be a lot of articles and textbooks published about the ramifications and possible solutions to this problem. But these will all be non-fiction, while one of the great things about fiction is its ability to take any topic and humanize it by running it through its paces through a series of realistic events.

DEADLY DISCRIMINATION is just such a book.
Ham sets you in the middle of a mystery that involves illegal aliens, presenting clues at the same time presenting different sides to the problems of illegals. While challenging readers to solve the businessman's murder, Ham likewise challenges them to decide what their beliefs about this problem are or reconsider previously held beliefs. This is just the kind of story that a master wordsmith like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who never backed away from the challenge of championing a cause in his fiction, would appreciate.

DEADLY DISCRIMINATION will entertain you and make you think. If that isn't as good as it gets, I don't know what is.

Steven Philip Jones is the author of THE BUSHWHACKERS, a new western coming in August from Avalon Books, and the mystery-adventure KING OF HARLEM. Jones has written over 60 comic book stories, including THE ADVENTURE OF THE OPERA GHOST, THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL & MR. HOLMES, and the original series STREET HEROES 2005 and NIGHTLINGER. He is presently working on a new young reader fantasy, TALISMEN (www.angelfire.com/comics/talismen). People are welcome to visit his website at www.stevenpjones.com.

Rating:
Summary: A Christian Mystery for All
Review: When Pastor Mike Raffles moved to the farming community of Kingsbury, California he thought he was retreating to a quiet town where all of the neighbors were friendly and where he could build a peaceful congregation. However, he soon realizes that the quiet town is not so quiet, as a businessman's dealings are enraging nearly everyone since he will soon be forcing many local shops to go out of business. When he is found stabbed to death just before leading the town's parade in a fair suspicion immediately falls on Eddie Martinez, a Mexican-American teenager with a history of juvenile crime and whose family Mr. Toews had recently engaged in an angry confrontation. Appeals from Eddie's family proclaiming his innocence soon has Mike questioning the quick arrest and the reasons behind it. There's a plethora of suspects, as it emerges that even Toews' family had reasons to hate him.

Just as disturbing to Mike as the murder is the discovery, following his spot on a radio show, of racism and hostility towards the Mexican-Americans who live in the community. When the local white supremacy organization begins to pressure Mike to stop his pleas for peace and his support of Eddie Mike puts both his position within the church and his life at risk.

Mike Raffles is an engaging hero who is at peace with himself and his beliefs and who wants to create the best congregation possible. Mike's relationship with Steve Carlucci, his childhood best friend, is appealing and very humorous as the two harass each other with the nicknames "Preacher Boy" and "Heathen Boy." The two have an usual friendship, as the private detective (crossing over from Lorie Ham's other series featuring Alexandra Walters) is an atheist whom Mike continues to lead attempt to lead towards the Christian faith. The two make a good team though, as Steve provides the muscle and street smarts while Mike brings in the heart. Ham also perfectly describes the setting of the California farming community and the clash of cultures that occurs between whites and the Mexican-Americans. Although this is labeled a "Christian" mystery the engaging characters and universal theme of racism make it accessible to all readers. This is an enjoyable read full of humor, suspense, and heart.