Perri O'Shaughnessy is the pseudonym for two sisters writing together.
Nina Reilly, who is taking some time off after her clash with the California State Bar (recounted in Unfit To Practice), visits old haunts in Carmel Valley with her longtime boyfriend, investigator Paul Von Wagoner, and her dog, Hitchcock. When Willis Whitefeather is accused of murder, it quickly becomes apparent that Nina will have more to contend with than the bothersome case of poison oak she has been nursing. Nina and Paul are soon involved in the investigation of a series of arson fires in the Salinas area as they attempt to track down the real killer. Fans of the series will enjoy seeing Nina dabble in undercover work as she searches for leads in the case, and they will be relieved to learn that she has not lost her touch in the courtroom. Newcomers, however, may have to struggle to catch up with the details of Nina's current situation as they sort through the profusion of new characters and relationships that form the suspect pool. For collections where the series is popular. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 4/1/03.]-Nancy McNicol, Whitneyville Branch Lib., Hamden, CT Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
When lawyer Nina Reilly muses while swimming at the start of this book about how many years she has left to enjoy life's pleasures, she startles us by the revelation that she is in her mid-thirties. Is that all? The O'Shaughnessy sisters, Pamela and Mary, have packed so much adventure, romance, crime and law into their books starring Reilly that we'd swear she was at least 50. And their latest outing, number nine, is no exception. Staying with her lover, investigator Paul van Wagoner, in his Carmel Valley condo while she reexamines her life after the traumatic events of 2002's Unfit to Practice dislodged her from her South Lake Tahoe home and office, Reilly is torn between Paul's obvious sexual appeal and his irksome urging for some form of long-term commitment. Then the 21-year-old Native American son of Nina's former secretary, Sandy Whitefeather, winds up in the middle of a murder and arson investigation, and Nina and Paul barely have a moment free for cuddling or bickering. Plotting has never been an O'Shaughnessy strong suit (in an acknowledgment, the authors mention an editor "who, with this book especially, has shown her rare ability to catch the lags, the vagueness, and the illogic of our manuscript"-a few glitches still slipped through). But the series' real virtues are intact: well-rounded and likable characters set against a richly described backdrop of some of the loveliest country in the world. Agent, Nancy Yost. (July 29) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
