|
About as cozy as cozy can get, THE STAGGERFORD MURDERS has the feel of "Murder, She Wrote" crossed with Jan Karon's Mitford series. Written from the viewpoint of Grover, an ancient geezer; Dusty, an even more ancient geezer; and Ollie, Dusty's nephew --- plus a couple of others --- the first of the two novellas has a distinctive down-home flavor. The three main characters live in the Ransford Hotel in Staggerford, Minnesota. Grover manages the old hotel, a somewhat decrepit place on its way out. The other two live there and sit around, jawing with Grover to pass the time.
One day, a letter is published in the Weekly, the local news source, asking for any clues leading to the whereabouts of Blanche Nichols, a woman who disappeared nine years before, and is signed by her daughter. Since the little town of Staggerford doesn't see a lot of mystery, the letter's intriguing request causes quite a stir --- at least among the hotel's residents. Through ruminations and revelations, the old guys stumble upon what happened, who murdered who, and what to do about it now.
Author Jon Hassler writes with an easy style, making THE STAGGERFORD MURDERS a pleasant escape.
In THE LIFE AND DEATH OF NANCY CLANCY'S NEPHEW, the book's second novella, the reader is treated to a glimpse into W.D. Nestor's rather unhappy existence. The saying goes that you reap what you sow, but W.D. doesn't seem to deserve what comes his way. True, he is surrounded by family and friends, but they could be more understanding and less indifferent. His daughter and son both have a huge gap where their hearts should be.
Once upon a time W.D. had a great love, the mother of his children. Their lives together numbered too few, as she was taken from him long before he was ready to wind down. The days pass with W.D. becoming more and more curmudgeonly. Finally, he finds a friend in Kevin, a young lad he meets at the local library. For eight years, W.D. and Kevin fill a need in each other's lives. Unfortunately, Kevin grows up and enters the army. By the time they see each other again, W.D. has grown older --- at an alarmingly accelerated rate --- and his days are definitely numbered. Just as W.D.'s life had few genuine thrills, his death could have gone almost unnoticed were it not for Aunt Nancy Clancy.
As in THE STAGGERFORD MURDERS, the characters make the story come alive. Their personalities and quirks give them human dimension. There are no pretensions here --- just wholesome prose and a welcome diversion.
--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers
• Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.
© Copyright 1996-2008, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.
Back to top.
|
