Book Review: Immaculate Reception

Reviewed By: Carol Schwaderer Dickinson - RAM

Immaculate Reception     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Jerrilyn Farmer
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Woman Main Character   Amateur Sleuth
Series: Maddie Bean # 2
Avon; 1999; $5.99; 242pp

Set in Hollywood, the plot was well thought out (caterer finds a murder confession in an ancient Jesuit cookbook). The historical research was stuff I was familiar with, a great "what if" theory. However I was confused by some of her characters. First the lady's name is Mad Bean. All my dogs are named Bean - Dusty Bean, Leia Bean, Roxy Bean, Radar Bean, etc. (I didn't name them.) so that jerked me out of the story a few times. Then she's got a male partner who is probably gay (maybe that's explained in the first book) whose only function seems to rescue her when she's in physical danger and sympathize with her as she wades through miserable doubts about her relationship with a former fiancé turned Jesuit brother, her current TV producer lover and the handsome police officer she's got the hots for.

Third party in this business group is a flaky 25ish gal whose main function seems to be to introduce the Hollywood scene (attending movie premieres, visiting nightclubs, and hanging with rock stars) as a plot device to introduce an unbelievable element into the plot.

The unraveling of the mystery was good if you could ignore such overdone plot twists as the Pope wandering around lost in a crowded stadium, Mad Bean kissing the Jesuit while he's handcuffed to a pipe and in danger. It may appeal to Gen-Xers, but the characters were incredibly immature and this old fuddy-duddy wasn't invested in any of the characters.

Carol Schwaderer Dickinson - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Carol Schwaderer Dickinson - RAM