|
[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
One of the worst clichés in a sports commentator's toolbox is the infamous "it was a game of two halves." Sadly, it describes Ellen Hart's NIGHT VISION perfectly. Hart is one of those under-rated writers who never seems to garner much publicity. Whether it's because her main character is a lesbian, I don't know. But then the books are never going to frighten the horses, as the same sex aspect is so tastefully dealt with – lesbian cosies for those who claim they're not homophobic, but twitch badly at the thought of two people of the same sex kissing. I've read most of Hart's Jane Lawless series, and each book seems to have a fairly significant flaw that stops me pushing it higher than mid-ranking. The main problem for me has tended to be Jane's over-the-top friend Cordelia, who is one of the most tiresome characters in modern crime fiction and often unbalances the book quite badly. That much is true in NIGHT VISION, as Cordelia features in a double whammy – hosting a famous Hollywood actress who's starring at her repertory theatre, and then mooning around over her cute niece Hattie of whom she is desperate to win custody. But film star Joanna Kasimir is being stalked by her ex-husband Gordon, who went to prison for harassing him some years back. And Joanna's troubled brother David has legged it from California to Minneapolis and has taken refuge with long-time friend Jane. Jane, a successful Minneapolis restaurateur, has an eye for trouble and a PI friend, AJ Nolan, who reckons she should be working alongside him. So it's inevitable that she gets involved in trying to protect Joanna from whoever is threatening her. The first half of the book rocks, as Hart builds up genuine suspense with Gordon, a truly nasty bit of work, and has the reader wondering constantly just why David is behaving so bizarrely. But then Hart takes a significant risk by killing off a main character, and the book more or less degenerates into 'oh, really?' territory. By the end, I couldn't summon a great deal of enthusiasm for the who and whydunit, as the main tension had been drained away. So if you've enjoyed the series to date, note that this isn't the best by a long way. And if you are new to Hart, don't start here!
Reviewed by Sharon Wheeler, January 2007
[ Top ]
QUICK SEARCH:
Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]
| 
