Book Review: Death of an Orchid Lover

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Death of an Orchid Lover     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Nathan Walpow
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Amateur Sleuth
Series: Joe Portugal # 2
Dell, Apr 2000, $5.99, 320 pp.

Forty-six year old Los Angeles resident Joe Portugal earns enough income from starring in commercials to keep his body and spirit nourished. He has finally accepted the reality that he will never be a great actor and enjoys spending time cultivating his succulent plants, treating them like his children. At a party given by orchid enthusiast Albert Oberg, Joe runs into fellow attendee Laura Astaire, a person he has not seen in fifteen years. Joe is surprised when Laura calls him the next day, begging him to help her. The police feel she murdered her boy friend Albert.

Laura asks Joe to clear her name by finding the real killer. Joe agrees, but before he can start investigating, Laura dies. The police want to tie her death into a neat package labeled guilt leading to suicide, but Joe rejects the theory because of Laura’s plea for him to prove her innocence. Joe begins inquiries into the two murders not yet realizing how dangerous a pastime amateur sleuthing can become.

DEATH OF AN ORCHID LOVER is a refreshing, fast-paced novel filled with offbeat charcaters that beguile the audience into liking them in spite of their serious flaws. Horticulture details are cleverly interwoven into the story line by an author who obviously is an expert on plant life because he is an enthusiast himself. Joe’s quirky sense of humor enables him to survive situations that would make many a person weep. Although this is only Joe’s second appearance, author Nathan Walpow has a winning series that appears ready for a long run.

Harriet Klausner

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