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Who Was Sylvia |
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| Who Was Sylvia by C  arol CailDeadly Alibi Press Ltd 178 pages, 2000 ISBN 1886199043 Reviewed by PJ Nunn As owner of the small alternative newspaper, The Blatant Regard, Maxey Burnell usually doesn’t have many serious worries aside from deadlines. She might have sensed trouble brewing when she was called to authorize the release of Sylvia Wellman’s dead body to the funeral home, for no reason besides the fact that Maxey’s business card was found in Sylvia’s belongings. Maxey missed that clue, but when she and Calen Taylor - her sometimes live-in lover who happens to be the Fire Marshall - are awakened in the early hours by a nearby fire, Maxey begins to get the picture. There are secrets in her neighborhood that someone will kill to keep. When Maxey discovers that she did know Sylvia in the form of a seemingly destitute woman known in the neighborhood as Packy, Maxey sets out to gather enough information for fitting obituaries, for Sylvia and the man killed in the fire. Maxey’s superficial investigation reveals more secrets however, and she’s soon desperate to discover who Sylvia really was and what she knew, before Maxey becomes the next victim. WHO WAS SYLVIA is a gentler, more cerebral mystery. Gratuitous sex and violence are at a minimum without sacrificing relationships and action. Cail’s neighborhood descriptions allow readers to glimpse a small part of Boulder, in much the same way as a native would visualize it, with colorful characters in occupancy and vivid interactions that strike resonant chords. While the storyline doesn’t inspire that 'lock the door and leave on the lights' tendency, it does present enough twists and surprises to result in a satisfying, case-closed reaction. |
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