Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
The Revenge of Kali-Ra
Amazon US HC Amazon US ADOBE Reader eBook Amazon US MSReader eBook Amazon Canada HC
K. K. Beck
Class/Genre: Mystery
Mysterious, Mar 1999, $22.00, 240 pp.
Actress Nadia Wentworth, a power in Hollywood, is bored with the on-location shoot of her current movie. An early arriving monsoon interrupts Nadia's filming on the South Pacific island of Boola Lau. Nadia's assistant, Melanie Oakley, finds several books to occupy her employer's time. Normally, Nadia never reads a novel. However, a particularly weird sounding title, "The Wrath of KALI-RA" by a deceased novelist Valerian Ricardo, captures her attention. Nadia decides that the story would be the perfect vehicle for her next movie.
In spite of the fact that Ricardo has been dead for years, several individuals descend on Nadia's mansion for a piece of the pie. Ricardo's alleged wife Lila manages to work her way into the inner sanctum of Nadia's life. Ricardo's great-nephew Nick Iverson arrives with a girl friend Callie Cunningham whom he actually just met. Both have high a strong interest in Ricardo and his KALI-RA series. A gangster on a Caribbean island seemingly owns the rights through the Uruguay Round agreement. Also arriving at the mansion is Professor Glen Pendergast, who has written the ultimate (and only) book on the works of Ricardo. This cast of characters soon has a mystery to solve as someone is trying to kill Nadia for defiling KALI-RA.
Anyone who has read a K.K. Beck novel (see WE INTERRUPT THIS BROADCAST) knows that the story line will be irreverent, jocular, and absolutely entertaining. THE REVENGE OF KALI-RA is no exception as the novel provides an interesting, humorous, and fun reading experience. The characters are warm and though it is an ensemble of several players, the awesome author appealingly seamlessly brings them together to form a cohesive whole. This is another wonderfully witty work by a master of the beguiling tale.
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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