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The Rhythm of Revenge |
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| The Rhythm of Revenge The First Inspector Terry Mystery by Christine Spindler Avid Press 275 pages, 1999 ISBN 1929613180 Reviewed by Susan McBride Read another review by PJ Nunn The premise of Rhythm of Revenge is this: A woman with a talent for tap and a penchant for betrayal disappears just before her starring role in the debut of The Taming of the Shoe at The Caesar Theatre in London. With Jessica Warner’s life and the production both in jeopardy, the London police are called in quickly to investigate this apparent kidnapping. They end up uncovering much about Jessica’s messy affairs in the process. Less a traditional mystery than a modern tale of neuroses and co-dependent relationships, RHYTHM explores the self-destructive nature of Jessica, a 23-year-old tap sensation, and those tangled in the web of her troubled life: her cuckolded husband, Roger; Simon, the debonair womanizer and one night stand; David, another former lover; Susan, David’s insecure wife; Alan, the gay theatre manager whom Jessica truly loves; and Eileen, a woman crippled as the result of a fire Jessica may or may not have set. The author herself describes Jessica as "trouble on legs," and she is every bit that. Self-serving to the core, I wondered why anyone bothered to go looking for her at all when she vanished while out jogging. And herein lies the problem with the book. Had I cared whether or not Jessica was found - or if she lived or died - I would have had little to criticize in this otherwise polished debut. Ms. Spindler has a definite finesse with words and offers up several unique and pleasing characters in the fire-scarred Eileen and the secretive DI Rick Terry. There is a second Inspector Terry novel in the works, hopefully with more focus on the mystery this time around. Ms. Spindler is a talented writer, and I look forward to reading her again. . |
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