The Alphabet in Crime Fiction hosted by Kerrie Smith at Mysteries in Paradise is virtually at the end of the alphabet with “Y”. There are not many “Y’s” in my reading history. I have chosen Bone Valley by Claire Matturo. I have not found a lot of successful writers using humour in crime fiction. Even fewer feature funny lawyers. Rarer yet is the author an actual lawyer. Claire and Paul Levine are the only writers I know who meet the triple challenge.
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28. - 491.) Bone Valley by Claire Matturro – Lily Belle Cleary is dragged into defending an orange defamation suit by Olivia, the wife of a senior partner in her law firm. Who knew you could not insult oranges in Florida? Her clients, Angus and the beautiful Miguel, are crusading environmentalists. With little difficulty they draw Lily into their efforts to protect the Sarasota area from further mining for gypsum phosphate. The mining industry has already created bone valley. M. David Moody, unscrupulous businessman and former lover of Lily, is discovered dead in a gyp stack – a gruesomely appropriate site for his murder. As Lily delves into the mystery she acquires a senior citizen assistant, Jimmie Rogers, who is also her handy man and her yard man. The action is non-stop as Lily whirls about always maintaining her cleaning fetish. It is an entertaining book. I did miss Lily in her office and in court. Her mysteries are better when they feature Lily, the hyper-aggressive trial lawyer. I regret the plainness of the paperback cover after the stylish eye catching designs on the first two mysteries. The characters are fascinating and a part of the locale rather than generic anywhere people. I hope to find Lily Belle back in the courtroom in her next adventure. Paperback. (July 31/09)
Bill - Thanks for this fine review. Like you, I don't often find crime fiction that successfully combines humour, lawyers and a decent mystery. And the author's an attorney? That's really interesting! I'm glad you enjoyed this mystery, and I'm going to have to scout out some of Matturo's work.
ReplyDeleteMargot: Thanks for the comment. I think you will enjoy any in the series. Lily Belle is an entertaining quirky character.
ReplyDeleteAn orange defamation suit? Really?
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think I am getting to know the English language, but I really saw a person dressed in (challenging) orange there. But perhaps I just read too few legal thrillers :D
Dorte: Thanks for the comment. Matturro put together a fictional case involving a Florida law passed to protect oranges (actually the industry) from slanderous comments. It was a strange basis for a court case but entertaining.
ReplyDelete