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Little Miss Evil |
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L ittle Miss Evil byLev Raphael Walker & Co. 187 pages, 2000 ISBN 0802733425 Reviewed by PJ Nunn Read our author interview If you’re looking for something unique - here it is. Nick Hoffman teaches composition at the State University of Michigan. He’s a good teacher and a popular one, with the students anyway. He’s also hoping to achieve tenure, which makes him particularly vulnerable to the likes and dislikes of his peers. This year, Nick is designing a new course about writing mysteries, something that interests him deeply, especially since he’s been involved recently in a local murder case. The problem is – there’s a mystery brewing within the English department on campus and it’s one in which he really wants no part. But apparently what he wants has little to do with it since he’s being targeted. Someone is leaving threatening messages in his mailbox and at his house. The threats are increasingly dangerous and he hasn’t a clue who’s sent them. Can he solve this real-life mystery before someone gets hurt? Lev Raphael is a writer with a vision. He writes from Nick’s perspective – a character who is happily ensconced in a long-term, monogamous gay relationship with Stefan. For many, that relationship alone offers a glimpse into another world. It’s a powerful statement since Nick is very likable and vulnerable, with questions that might plague any man. Raphael is a master at creating life-like characters who avoid stereotypes and actively engage the reading audience in the action. If relationships are the strength of this book, there is also a mystery afoot. Raphael’s descriptions of the world of academia are both entertaining and enlightening. Perhaps they are slightly exaggerated, but then again, maybe not. Backstabbing and criticism abound in the midst of politics, leaving a long list of suspicious characters. All of them are guilty of something - but murder? Raphael skillfully crafts the means for Nick to tie it all up in a tidy package. LITTLE MISS EVIL is short yet powerful. |
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