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Canadian Authors - Mystery - |
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Speak Ill of the Dead |
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Spe ak Ill of the Dead byMary Jane Maffini Rendezvous Press, 1999 ISBN 0929141652 Reviewed by Devorah Stone Nominated for the 2000 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel. Camilla MacPhee could not understand why her dearest friend, the sensible feline loving Robin Findlay, would want to see Mitzi Brochu, the gossip mongering columnist, hater of all fat people and arsenic tongued fashion guru. Robin asked Camilla to come with her. Camilla, a lawyer and head of the Justice for Victims Foundation, arrived at the hotel room too late. Someone killed Mitzi Brochu and the police suspected Robin. Camilla took on Robin's case. Robin slumped into a depression, unable to talk of the event, moved back to her parents' house, while Camilla took care of her six cats. Now Camilla had to prove her client and friend innocent. She had to find the real murderer among a growing list of many victims - among non-skinny celebrities, politicians and her columnist's contacts in the drug underworld. One of the suspects is Robin's fashion model sister, Brooke. Helping and hindering Camilla in her quest are her beautiful, blond well meaning sisters, her erratic but sometimes brilliant assistant Alvin, her nosey landlady Mrs. Parnell, and two police officers courting Robin and Camilla's unmarried sister, Alexa. This well populated book never bogs down in details. The author explores family relationships - focusing on sisters, fathers and daughters. Mary Jane Maffini also delves into our society obsession with looks and body size. Written in the first person point of view, the protagonist's sense of humor and irony shines through. Set in Canada's capital city Ottawa when the tulips are in bloom, SPEAK ILLOF THE DEAD is an engaging, funny novel. |
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