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Mystery Book ReviewsPage Three of ThreeHoly Terror in the Hebrides by Jeanne M. DamsWalker & Co., Nov.,1997.184 pp. ISBN: 0802733115 Hardcover. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
Expatriate American widow Dorothy Martin has found a new home in
England. When her friends the Andersons invite her for a visit to
their cottage on the lovely isle of Iona in the Hebrides, Scotland,
she accepts with alacrity. But the trip does not go smoothly. Her
hosts are unable to join her right away. She then loses the key to
the cottage and so is forced to move into a local hotel, which is
populated by a traveling ecumenical group from Chicago whose members
seem anything but religious or tolerant. To make things worse, a
severe storm is moving towards Iona. During a day trip to the famous
Fingal's Cave, one of the group falls to his death from the rocks
above the roiling waters -- right in front of Dorothy's eyes. Ruled an
accident, the death looks more like murder to Dorothy as she
discovers more and more reasons why this particular member of the
group was so unpopular. When the storm arrives and cuts off the
island, Dorothy is left to fend for herself and to track down a
murderer using only her wits and knowledge of human nature.
This is the third entry in the Dorothy Martin series by Agatha-award winning author Jeanne M. Dams following The Body in the Transept and Trouble in the Town Hall. A true Scottish village murder mystery, Holy Terror in the Hebrides is a delightful read for cozy lovers. Dorothy Martin is an endearing sleuth with a style all her own. The ambience and beauty of the isle of Iona and the vivid characterizations of both the inhabitants and the tourists on the island combine for a charming tale. Red Sky in Mourning by Patricia H. RushfordBethany House Publishers, Nov., 1997.238 pp. ISBN: 1556617313 Paperback. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
Helen Bradley isn't your usual newlywed. A former police officer, now
a freelance travel writer, she juggles the demands of her new
marriage to Irish special agent Jason Bradley with her career and her
devotion to her children and grandchildren. Her latest writing
assignment takes her away from her newly-retired husband to an
innocent looking coastal town on the Long Beach Peninsula of
Washington State where she must finish a regional travel guide for
the area. After arriving at the charming bed and breakfast which will
serve as her base of operations Helen finds out why Isabelle, the
previous writer, didn't finish the project -- she's dead. All Helen's
old police instincts are aroused and she quickly ends up doing more
investigating into the death of the first travel writer than
researching her travel assignment. Suspecting that Isabelle was
murdered because she stumbled onto local drug smuggling activities,
Helen launches her own investigation with the reluctant help of the
local Coast Guard. Quickly realizing that the seemingly-innocent
picturesque coastline town is covering up some sordid secrets, Helen
digs deeper for the truth. Her investigation must be bothering
somebody; Helen is attacked and the bodies start piling up. Can Helen
find out the truth about Isabelle's death before she becomes the next
victim?
This is the second book in the Helen Bradley mystery series. With an unusual heroine and full characterizations Rushford has crafted an interesting story which Christian and non-Christian cozy readers alike will enjoy. Rutherford is at her best when creating complex characters and the relationships between them. Helen is a sincere, likeable, gutsy heroine who in a tough spot is more likely to say a prayer before whacking the bad guy over the head than to cower in the corner hoping for divine inspiration. And she's certainly not the preachy type -- she exhibits her beliefs by example rather than by proselytizing. An unusual sleuth and an interesting cast of characters make for a quick and entertaining read. Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist by Dorothy GilmanFawcett Columbine, 1997.203 pp. ISBN: 0449911373 Hardcover. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
The lovable 60-something spy Emily Pollifax is back in another
adventure sure to please Pollifax fans. This time Emily is on
loan from the CIA to her old friend John Sebastian Farrell, who
she once spent a week with in an Algerian prison. Their mission:
to smuggle out of Jordan the final manuscript of the dissident
Iraqi novelist Dib Assen, who was reportedly murdered in an Iraqi
prison. Written as fiction, the novel describes the shocking
realities of Saddam Hussein's reign of terror. Disguised as an
innocent tourist companion to her "cousin" Farrell, the duo is set
to meet their contact called Ibrahim near Amman to deliver the
manuscript. No sooner are they in the air heading for Jordan
when odd things begin to occur. Emily's seatmate is not the pleasant
Arab businessman he pretends to be, the little carved plaque he
stashes in her handbag is no innocent souvenir, and the drop
does not go according to plan. Soon Emily and Farrell are plunged
headlong into international turmoil as everyone tries to gain
possession of the mysterious plaque and the missing manuscript.
Emily and Farrell are forced to head
into the desert in order to shake
off a deadly pursuit and to try to locate the missing manuscript.
The 13th entry into the Mrs. Pollifax series is full of local color and customs and reunites the intrepid part-time spy with one of the best characters in the series: John Sebastian Farrell, ex-CIA agent and sometime art dealer in Mexico city. Pollifax and Farrell have made a fascinating mismatched team since they first teamed up in the first novel in the series. Pollifax is plucky and down to earth as usual while retaining her sense of wonder at the fascinating places and people in the world. A lighthearted outing sure to please Gilman fans. Mystery Reviews Page One | Mystery Reviews Page Two Return to Book Reviews Index ** To visit the archives of mystery books reviewed in The IWJ, please click here. |