Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
Deathday Party
Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Paula Carter
Class/Genre: Mystery
Berkley Prime Crime, Oct 1999, $5.99, 208 pp.
After attending law school for two years, Jane Ferguson dropped out because her ex-husband failed to make his alimony and child payments on time. Instead of sulking, Jane goes to work for Hillary Scarborough, a Renaissance person who caters parties while running a cooking, interior design, and home repair business. On a weekend in which her ex has their child, Jane accompanies Hillary to Bean House to make the initial preparations for a combination birthday party and family reunion.
When they reach the house, Hillary informs Jane that the guest of honor is America Elizabeth Bean, who died over five years ago. The house reminds Jane of a grotesque gothic manor (reminiscent of the Adams Family mansion). When a storm washes away the bridge, the two women become trapped inside the place with a group of eccentrics and weirdos. However, someone murders two of the attendees, leaving Jane and Hillary to investigate in a place with secret passageways, missing corpses, and a killer who will not hesitate to raise the body count.
Paula Carter has the ability to lighten her amateur sleuth series by adding humor to the plot. This leads to readers laughing at the predicaments the two ladies seem to always find themselves in because neither one can mind their own business. Adding to the entertaining antics of the lead characters is a serio-comic gothic story line that borders on the absurd, but turns DEATHDAY PARTY into an enjoyable mystery.
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
If you enjoy this website, a link would be appreciated. |