Book Review: The Mortician's Daughter

Reviewed By: Luke Croll - RAM

[4 stars]

The Mortician's Daughter Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Elizabeth Bloom
Class/Genre: Mystery Woman Main Character
Time Warner Books, August 22, 2006 304 pages 24.95 USD

Ginny Lavoie has been suspended from her job in the New York Police Department. When she gets a call from her best friend, whose son has been murdered, Lavoie returns to the small New England mill town that used to be her home. She becomes involved in the case, struggling to find out who would want to batter a teenager to death. This was the first novel by Elizabeth Bloom that I had read, but it is clear that she has a bright future ahead of her as an author. THE MORTICIAN’S DAUGHTER is a very interesting tale, with a good cast of characters and an intriguing plot. Bloom’s particular success is with her characters. Ginny is clearly flawed, yet she is a protagonist who the reader will fully support. Her struggles to come to terms with the town that she left behind are compelling and I have no doubt that she may well be the subject of future Bloom novels.

The author creates a worrying picture of small-town America. On the one hand, she shows a town that has not been subject to the ravages of big business, but at the same time, we are starting to see the growing scourge of drugs and the breakdown of what little industry the town had. This picture of growing urban decay is one that is repeated all across America, and indeed, all over the world. Bloom captures it very well.

In terms of the plot, Bloom includes a variety of twists. I felt that some parts were rather predictable and even telegraphed in places, but I was still surprised by the murderer’s identity nonetheless. With moments of humour even at the blackest times, as well as action, sex and good dialogue, THE MORTICIAN’S DAUGHTER is a good read and will no doubt be another success for Elizabeth Bloom, following her debut novel, SEE ISABELLE RUN.

Luke Croll - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

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