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- Mystery - |
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Missing Marlene |
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 Missing Marlene:A Jane Stuart and Winky Mystery by Evan Marshall 309 pages, 1999 Kensington Books ISBN 1575664208 Reviewed by PJ Nunn Nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best First Mystery. Read another review of Missing Marlene by Susan McBride Read our review of the sequel Hanging Hannah, reviewed by PJ Nunn. Every once in awhile, a book comes across a reviewer’s desk that just won’t fit neatly into a category. From the cover, I anticipated a cozy. After all, she has a cat named Winky. But a typical cozy, it’s not. Jane Stuart is carrying on her late husband’s legacy at the literary agency the two started years before. She’s also trying to build a happy life for herself and for her son. In order to do that, she needs a good nanny to care for him while she’s working. Unfortunately, she hired Marlene, the teenage daughter of a friend, who isn’t working out. Worse, now she’s vanished without a trace. With a deep-seated sense of obligation to her old college chum, Jane sets out to help locate Marlene, juggling the process of finding a replacement nanny and a bevy of impatient authors at the same time. Her investigation leads her into some dark places, with surprising answers to questions she never thought she’d have to ask. Soon, she’s wondering who will care for her son if she doesn’t come out of this adventure alive. Missing Marlene is highly intriguing for a number of reasons. Evan Marshall is a well known literary agent himself. As a writer, I found the scenario very enlightening as a glimpse into the other side of the publishing world. That aside, he’s crafted a first class mystery with characters that are likeable and realistic. I’d like to think that some of the situations Jane finds herself in are exaggerated or unlikely, but in this day and age, they are at least possible. The plot is carefully organized, leaving the reader guessing, maybe even suspecting the final outcome, but not entirely sure until the end. Missing Marlene will provide an interesting escape into the world of fiction. I’m looking forward to the sequel. |
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