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For
fans of either of the Clarks, this book is a real treat. By using
characters that each of the authors already has developed --- Regan
Reilly, the intrepid sleuth of Carol's work, and Alvirah Meehan,
the lottery winning amateur detective of Mary's --- readers of either
Clark come into the story with some background.
The story in a nutshell --- Nora Regan Reilly, Regan's mom and a
well-known mystery author, is in the hospital with a badly broken
leg. After visiting his wife in the hospital, Luke Reilly (a funeral
director) and his female driver are kidnapped by a relative of one
of the his recently deceased clients, who is upset that his inheritance
has been donated to a philanthropic gardening group. Wonderfully
humorous moment here --- his client had come to know the gardeners
at a benefit dinner where Luke had been honored, recognized for
his contribution to the floral industry. I admit I never thought
about a funeral director in quite those terms. I can picture the
Clarks laughing as the conjured up this plot line.
Luke Reilly and Alvirah Meehan's husband both use the same dentist
in New Jersey, which is where Alvirah and Regan meet us --- Alvirah
is accompanying her husband home from an appointment to get a nasty
infection taken care of, while Regan is hoping to track down her
father, who is missing. From there the story is a romp filled with
mystery, intrigue, and a smattering of romance. And yes, there are
the inevitable phrases from songs that make these stories even more
clever!
At the start of the book, each author's writing style is distinctive.
They each trade chapters to introduce characters, and I saw a definite
change in voice and structure as I turned the page from one chapter
to the next. As the story progressed, the voices blended and so
did their styles, as the focus turned to the characters and the
action. There are references to each other's books throughout this
one, but they are not intrusive. I am an ardent fan of Mary's books,
but I had never read any of Carol's. After closing this one, I added
her backlist to my reading list.
I could visualize the Clarks working together, feeding their ideas
and working through the storyline. The opening line in the acknowledgments
tackles the question readers will ask: "Was it hard to work
together?" The authors say, "The answer is 'No.' It was
fun. By the time we got to the closing pages, we were so in tandem
that if we were searching for a descriptive word, we often would
come out with the same one in the same breath."
This book is the perfect gift for a mom or daughter who enjoy light,
fun reading, or for you to treat yourself to a wonderful escape
from holiday chores.
--- Carol Fitzgerald
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