Knife Edge
1 journaler for this copy...
Purchased from the author at Copper Cat Books in Henderson, NV today.
When I spoke to the author, she assured me that this isn't a "cutesy" mystery, although it might be classified as cozy. No, it doesn't feature ninnies doing silly things and still catching their man. Instead, it features an angst-driven reporter given to dwelling on how hot her love interest is.
The plot holds together pretty well, and there are enough complications to fog up the hunt. But the haphazard way our hero, Zee Morani, pursues clues almost gave me a headache.
Zee is a young columnist who writes a witty column skewering local situations and people. She is on the trail of a disgraced medical researcher who has started to remake his career when she finds his body. By all accounts, he was a good person who created a drug for ALS that ultimately stopped working, leaving patients with worsening symptoms and leaving investors with nothing.
Side note: he has a laboratory next to his office where he did his work. All alone. It seems highly unlikely to me that a one-person laboratory is going to create a marketable drug. It does not seem unlikely to me that a drug that has gone through drug trials and been approved by the FDA might later fail, because most drug trials do not last years.
Who would kill him? He was stabbed multiple times, viciously. Which leads the police and Zee to think the person did it in a fit of passion. Possible suspects include investors and patients and friends and family of either.
Somehow Zee feels obligated to look into it, and in due course assures at least one person that she will not let it go, particularly because it appears that the police have landed on the wrong man. Fueled by breakfast pastries and things like stale popcorn, she follows one lead after another.
I found it unlikely that most of the persons she spoke to would actually want to talk to her. There wasn't anything compelling in her pitch and she didn't have the credentials, yet there they are, spilling the beans.
Then there is Rico, the motorcycle-riding crime reporter, who wants more from Zee than she is willing to give. Whenever he enters the picture she dwells on his blue eyes, his strong arms, his smile, and on and on. I never got a real sense of who he was or how he thought, except that he liked Zee and wanted to protect her. In other words, to me he was a cardboard character.
But Zee gave him opportunities to prove his manhood. She fainted. She waffled and agonized, and he was there to help shore her up. She cared for him deep inside (or not so deep) but was wary because of past experience. This is an old story - the hurt person resisting the attention of others to avoid further hurt. I tired of the constant references to his body and smell. Give us more than that!
And there is Fontina, Zee's best friend. Wise and sisterly, she is there to encourage Zee to get with Rico, and to help her out of difficulties. I saw no reciprocal friendship. What has Zee done for her lately? Borrowed her car, called her in the middle of the night...maybe Fontina needs someone to take care of.
Overall I didn't develop an attachment to any of the characters. I would have enjoyed deeper conversation, more interesting observations. Maue has taken "descriptive writing" seriously, which we are always encouraged to do, but I felt the story slammed shut when she dwelled too long on opening a door and walking through. I understand the intention of helping the reader feel what the character feels, but to me the descriptive language often just dragged.
The author describes it as a Zee and Rico mystery but Rico is not much involved in solving the case. I expected that they would discuss it and take it apart and then make their moves, but instead Zee has theories and Rico says "the police know what they're doing" and that's that.
Even when I am disappointed in the writing, I always think about the author's determination to get the book finished. I have yet to do anything close. I wish the best to Ms. Maue and hope that she continues her efforts.
The plot holds together pretty well, and there are enough complications to fog up the hunt. But the haphazard way our hero, Zee Morani, pursues clues almost gave me a headache.
Zee is a young columnist who writes a witty column skewering local situations and people. She is on the trail of a disgraced medical researcher who has started to remake his career when she finds his body. By all accounts, he was a good person who created a drug for ALS that ultimately stopped working, leaving patients with worsening symptoms and leaving investors with nothing.
Side note: he has a laboratory next to his office where he did his work. All alone. It seems highly unlikely to me that a one-person laboratory is going to create a marketable drug. It does not seem unlikely to me that a drug that has gone through drug trials and been approved by the FDA might later fail, because most drug trials do not last years.
Who would kill him? He was stabbed multiple times, viciously. Which leads the police and Zee to think the person did it in a fit of passion. Possible suspects include investors and patients and friends and family of either.
Somehow Zee feels obligated to look into it, and in due course assures at least one person that she will not let it go, particularly because it appears that the police have landed on the wrong man. Fueled by breakfast pastries and things like stale popcorn, she follows one lead after another.
I found it unlikely that most of the persons she spoke to would actually want to talk to her. There wasn't anything compelling in her pitch and she didn't have the credentials, yet there they are, spilling the beans.
Then there is Rico, the motorcycle-riding crime reporter, who wants more from Zee than she is willing to give. Whenever he enters the picture she dwells on his blue eyes, his strong arms, his smile, and on and on. I never got a real sense of who he was or how he thought, except that he liked Zee and wanted to protect her. In other words, to me he was a cardboard character.
But Zee gave him opportunities to prove his manhood. She fainted. She waffled and agonized, and he was there to help shore her up. She cared for him deep inside (or not so deep) but was wary because of past experience. This is an old story - the hurt person resisting the attention of others to avoid further hurt. I tired of the constant references to his body and smell. Give us more than that!
And there is Fontina, Zee's best friend. Wise and sisterly, she is there to encourage Zee to get with Rico, and to help her out of difficulties. I saw no reciprocal friendship. What has Zee done for her lately? Borrowed her car, called her in the middle of the night...maybe Fontina needs someone to take care of.
Overall I didn't develop an attachment to any of the characters. I would have enjoyed deeper conversation, more interesting observations. Maue has taken "descriptive writing" seriously, which we are always encouraged to do, but I felt the story slammed shut when she dwelled too long on opening a door and walking through. I understand the intention of helping the reader feel what the character feels, but to me the descriptive language often just dragged.
The author describes it as a Zee and Rico mystery but Rico is not much involved in solving the case. I expected that they would discuss it and take it apart and then make their moves, but instead Zee has theories and Rico says "the police know what they're doing" and that's that.
Even when I am disappointed in the writing, I always think about the author's determination to get the book finished. I have yet to do anything close. I wish the best to Ms. Maue and hope that she continues her efforts.
I made an error in registering this book. The label inside says 685-16867984. I'm going to create another copy of the book in case somebody finds it and tries to look it up.
