I have loved Susan Isaacs’s work for decades, and so when I
saw her newest novel up for grabs on Edelweiss, I jumped at the chance to read
it. This book is for sale now.
Corie Geller is a former FBI agent. Now she is the stay-home
mom of a fourteen year old stepdaughter, and the wife of a prominent judge. She works as a scout for quality Arabic
fiction. And she’s bored out of her mind.
But old habits die hard, and she can’t help noticing that a
member of her regular lunch group, Pete Delaney, has habits that raise red
flags. He’s too normal, almost as if he’s working at it. His appearance is
forgettable, his occupation is dull…but he always sits facing the door when he
goes out to lunch. He sets Corie’s professional sense a-jangling. Is Pete
really this bland, or is it a front for something more sinister?
The few people that Corie confides in are sure she is
jumping at shadows. She needs a job, or a hobby. Briefly I wondered whether
Pete and Corie were going to fall madly in love, but then I remembered who my
author is. Isaacs would never.
The one person that takes Corie’s questions seriously is her
father, a retired cop who’s bored also. As she and her papa peel away Pete’s façade,
they grow closer to uncovering his secrets. And Josh—Corie’s husband, whose
work requires a whole lot of travel—knows nothing of any of it.
The thing that elevates Isaacs above other novelists is her
feminist snark. It’s put to excellent use here. Aspects that don’t work as well
for me are the detailed descriptions of upscale furnishings and other expensive
possessions, and the whole Arabic literature thing, which adds nothing at all
to the story and is a trifle distracting; I kept wondering when it would become
relevant to the story, but then it didn’t.
But both of these are minor factors.
The reader should also know that this is not a thriller. There
seems to be a trend among publicists to promote all mysteries as thrillers, and
perhaps this helps sales in the short run, who knows; but it doesn’t serve the
author well in the long run. Isaacs doesn’t write thrillers, she writes solid,
feminist mysteries that pull the reader in with the story arc characteristic of
strong fiction. When I hit the 62% mark at bedtime one evening, I understood
that the next time I read it, I would have to finish it, and indeed, it was too
exciting to read flopped in bed as I usually do. I had to sit up straight, and
I kept finding myself leaning forward as I read, as if I might need to jump up
at any minute.
I would love to see Isaacs use this protagonist in a series.
I’ve missed this writer and look forward to her next book, whether it’s another
Corie Geller story or something else. I recommend this book to feminist mystery
readers that are ready for a chuckle or two.
Seattle Book Mama 