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The Courtship Gift |
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 The Courtship Gift byJulie Parsons Simon & Schuster 316 Pages, 2000 ISBN 0684869829 Reviewed by Marion E. Cason Julie Parsons takes an obscure fact about the courtship gift insects use and applies it as the underlying theme running through her novel set in Dublin, Ireland. The novel is chilling, intriguing and true to our era, the late 1990's. David Neale died suddenly in Ballsbridge, Dublin. His beloved wife, Anna, sorely misses him. Anna, an entomologist at the local museum, comes home after choir practice one night before Christmas and finds her husband dead. At first, the detectives believe it was just an accident, but Anna knows it was murder. She found the box that held the queen bee that stung her husband. Everyone knew he was allergic to bee stings. Why would anyone kill her husband? When the detectives investigate, they uncover David's secret life. His brother James tells Anna there is no money and a lot of debt. Anna cannot believe it. The detectives and James are surprised that Anna has no inclination David led a double life - cannot believe she is so naive. When Michael, a business friend of David's, appears on the scene, he corroborates what the police found: David was a fraud. He befriends Anna and helps when she has to sell David's home. Michael buys her home and offers Anna a place to stay while the house is being renovated. He is kind, gentle and encourages Anna to move in with him. However, events turn ugly and Anna again is caught in the duplicity of those around her. At the end, Anna comes into her own when hair-raising events unfold. Parsons combines the safe haven of a museum, the normal life of Dublin, and the seedy side of the back streets to deliver a suspenseful mystery. The Courtship Gift is well written and keeps the reader captivated to the end. |
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