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DEATH IN DUPLICATE
by Valerie Wolzien
Fawcett Books, March 2005
272 pages
$6.99
ISBN: 0345468082


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Susan Henshaw is back in this competent addition to the long-running series. Last seen in November's DEATH IN A BEACH CHAIR, Susan is fluttering with great anticipation over her daughter's impending motherhood, particularly since Chrissy has coyly refused to tell her what gender to expect. The answer is soon revealed as 'one of each' and soon Chrissy, husband, babies and nurse have all moved in with Susan and Jed while the new family looks for a home of its own.

The merry madness of dealing with newborn twins is given a sickening twist when Susan's next door neighbor Nadine accuses the nanny of being the culprit behind a series of unsolved murders at a nursing facility a few years earlier. Susan is worried but unconvinced, since she thinks Shannon is as practically perfect as Mary Poppins. When Nadine is stabbed to death next day and Shannon is accused, it's time for Susan to swing back into action and find out what really happened not only next door, but also at the Perry Island Care Center.

Well-paced, well-plotted, and well-written, DEATH IN DUPLICATE is everything a series cozy should be. The characters are interesting without being bizarre; the background is described well enough that the novice reader can jump right in while the long-time series follower won't be bored with lots of exposition; the puzzle is believable and solvable without being too easy; and the pace never flags or rushes.

Admittedly, 16 adventures later there is no discussion of why Susan is helping the police, it's just accepted that this is what she does. And I have a quibble with the stylistic choice of ending many chapters on a cliffhanger and starting the next one with a scene change. But that's a personal complaint and when the book ended I felt satisfied. DEATH IN DUPLICATE can be wholeheartedly recommended to both long-time Henshaw fans and new readers looking for a solid suburban cozy.

Reviewed by Linnea Dodson, February 2005

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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