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If you're looking for a straightforward, cut-and-dried police-procedural type of mystery, Abigail Padgett might not suit you. Every Padgett mystery has fascinating subplots - storylines and information about which I wouldn't mind learning more. Blue McCarron, the protagonist in Blue is back in the Last Blue Plate Special, which informs about social psychology, the background of blue willow china, and offers a brilliant cast of characters including Roxie, Blue's lover, and the wonderful and multi-talented BB, in a book I expect to read again and again. Blue sees a pattern in the deaths of several San Diego area women: while they seem to have died from heart attacks or more or less natural causes, Blue knowsÝ from her professional background in statistics that the odds of several strong, powerful women who are healthy, well, it just does not make sense. She knows something's wrong; she calls the police, announces that the statistics don't work and that's that. But then, the police come back and say "we need help. tell us what's going on." And Roxie, a forensic psychologist and Blue try to follow up, predict (or discover) who might be next, and search out the person responsible. Blue is a contrast; she has a breezy, quirky style and delivery, but when she is focused, her professional demeanor shows her sharp analytical manner. She understands patterns and theories in behavior we tend to take for granted. Padgett excels in character development, offering rich, fascinating people like BB, like Roxie, like Blue's father, the Episcopalian priest, who add greatly to the story. There are layers in this mystery; sexual politics involving successful, ambitious women, issues of appearance and plastic surgery, religious belief and sexual orientation. Blue is such an intriguing character that you want to watch her work things out and succeed. It's interesting from beginning to end.Ý -- http://www.drizzle.com/~roscoe/tshirts.html - Sherlockian, Wodehousian & more
Reviewed by Andi Shechter, April 2002
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