Book Review: Old Poison

Reviewed By: Gina Metz - RAM

Old Poison     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Joan Francis
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Woman Main Character
iUniverse, Inc.; 2003; 207 pp

Old Poison is the debut novel of Joan Francis featuring Private Eye, Diana Hunter with some help from her ex-U.S. Intelligence Service friend, Sam Dehaney, who specializes in high tech gadgets. Diana is given the first chapter of a document called the Marian Diary which revolves around a toxic fuel know as Red 19 and asked by the client to research current fuels to see if she can find anything similar to this fuel. The book takes one from California to New Mexico to the rain forest of Costa Rica to unravel the mystery of the Martian Diary and the murder of the supposed author of this document.

I must admit I was a bit skeptical as to whether I could get through this book when I received it and first began reading the book. I thought a book about a Martian Diary would be just too out there for my tastes. But the book hooked me and turned out to be an enjoyable read that made one sit back and think about it after finishing it.

I liked Diana Hunter and soon found out she was just as skeptical as I was about the Martian Diary having any truth to it. I also liked the character of her friend Sam. During the course of the novel Diana finds herself up against Environmentalists, crackpots and big corporation thugs and has no idea who can be trusted. My only problem with the book was how she continued to easily escape from very dangerous situations through disguises and Sam’s help that were somewhat unbelievable.

I look forward to other Diana Hunter books with the hopes that Diana & Sam’s characters will grow and the situations she finds herself in during later books will be somewhat more plausible. For a first novel, I must say I thought Ms. Francis did a great job.

Gina Metz - RAM

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