Book Review: The Mortician's Daughter

Reviewed By: Cheryl - RAM

The Mortician's Daughter     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Elizabeth Bloom
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Woman Main Character
Mysterious Press/Warner Books, August 2006

Ginny Lavoie escaped a dying New England mill town for New York City, where she achieved her childhood dream of becoming a police officer, only to have everything she has achieved threatened. But she is shocked out of her depression by a late-night call from her oldest friend, whose son has just been brutally murdered. Ginny immediately leaves New York City for her hometown and her friend.

Ginny has to face some parts of her own past she prefers not to think about too much, and carry out her enquiries while realizing that doing so may increase her friend's anguish as things the bereaved mother does not want to know are revealed. Moreover, her investigation is hampered by local incompetence and corruption, and triggers a reaction which suprises even Ginny, more used to the impersonal violence of a big city.

The plot has a satisfying number of twists and turns, with the author often veering near the predictable stereotyped situation and then tossing in some slight twist on the expected. The New England mill town is entirely believable - it's seen better days, but the survivors of the mill closures keep going, with some resentment towards and suspicion of the wealthier incomers - suspicion which sometimes turns out to be justified.

At the end, the story becomes almost too complicated, but Bloom doesn't quite drop any of the tangled threads of her tale. She avoids easy solutions the same way she avoids easy cardboard characters and obvious plot twists. 'The Mortician's Daughter" is an excellent addition to the mystery genre.

Cheryl - RAM

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