Book Review: Killer Stuff

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Killer Stuff     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Sharon Fiffer
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Series: Jane Wheel
St. Martin’s, Sep 2001, $23.95, 304 pp.

The past year has been rough on Evanston resident Jane Wheel. She amiably separated from her geology professor husband and lost her job at an ad agency when a couple of clients left for other firms. Over the years, Jane has been an amateur antique "picker" and with her ten-year-old son in South Dakota at a dig with his dad, she tries to make a living as a wheeler-dealer.

Jane borrows her next door neighbor’s van as she always does when she makes the weekend rounds. When she goes to return the vehicle, Jane finds the murdered corpse of her neighbor Sandy Balance. Detective Oh leads the investigation and Jane is the obvious prime suspect. Not only for finding the body, but because everyone knows she passionately kissed Sandy’s husband Jack. Other circumstantial evidence also points towards Jane as the killer. Not one to sit idly by, Jane uses her skills in finding items for customers to uncover the clues that will lead her to the killer’s identity before the police arrest her.

KILLER STUFF is an engaging amateur sleuth tale due to the lead character seeming so real even when she seeks to solve the murder. Though a bit too much collectibles is included in the overall fine story line, the plot still gracefully moves forward. Still the tale belongs to the support cast such as Detective Oh and Jane’s Kankakee mom as they round out the case and Jane’s personality. Overall Sharon Fiffer has written a pleasant tale that balances character and plot quite nicely.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner