By Linda Elissalde
We are in that hot, humid time of the year when staying out of the sun, except for early morning and late afternoon, seems the right thing to do. But, what do you do? If you like to sit under a shade and read, I recommend DEATH IN THE GARDEN by Elizabeth Ironside. NPR declared it, “One of the 12 Best Books of 2005.” Don’t let this endorsement scare you. It is full of intrigue and mystery. I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. The synopsis on the back of the book states, “In 1925 beautiful, bohemian Diana Pollexfen was celebrating her 30th birthday with a party at a country estate, but the celebrations soured when her husband died, poisoned by a cocktail that had been liberally laced with some of Diana’s photographic chemicals. Sixty years later, Diana’s grand-niece Helena, is also turning 30. An overworked attorney in London, Helena’s primary social outlet is an obsessive love affair. By way of distraction, Helena starts looking through her great-aunt’s papers and soon develops another obsession: Determining just who did kill George Pollexfen in the lovely, sunlit garden between the wars.”
My guess is that women would enjoy this book more than men, but I don’t want to be sexist. It is full of clues, unsuspected turns of events, and enough blood to probably satisfy all readers who enjoy mystery novels. I ordered it in paperback from Amazon. (Is there anything you can’t order from Amazon?)
You also may have a special “summer book” that you would like to share with our Bolivar readers. If so, please send your recommendations to: Linda C. Elissalde, [email protected].
In the meantime, have grand time, in or out of the sunshine!
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Can’t wait to read this one. Ms. Elissalde, your recommendations never fail me!
I have become totally obsessed with the Australian Phryne Fisher series from Kerry Greenwood, as much for the fascinating history of the “flapper” era background interspersed with other Down Under historical happenings about about which we generally know very little, as with this delightful detective.