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Once again, Emily Andrew has rounded up her troupe of Iowa retirees for a trip abroad, this time to Scandinavia, mostly Finland, but later Norway. There is a certain amount of hostility to a group of Florida retirees, who all live in a gated community, Hamlets, and seem to think that they should be accorded special privileges. A leader of the Florida group is the thoroughly unpleasant Portia Van Cleef, who is president of Hamlets and runs the place like a not very benevolent dictator. When Portia is found murdered, the only issue is not who wanted to kill her but who didn't. To find out more about Hamlets and its inhabitants, Emily hooks up with the genial Gus Maloney, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has retired to Hamlets, where he writes and edits the community newspaper, putting up with unwelcome interference from Portia. Alas, Gus is the second murder victim. In addition to seeking out the murderer, Emily has much on her plate. She is sure that her plans for her nuptials with retired Swiss policeman Etienne are all set. However, her mother phones to tell her that a tornado struck town and leveled the church where the wedding was to take place as well as the hotel where the reception was to be held, and also the bank that has sponsored Emily's trips and paid her salary. After several days of international phone calls, Emily's mother informs her that she has found a rabbi willing to perform the ceremony in his synagogue and that she has hired a cow barn for the reception. Emily is devastated, despite Etienne's assurance that he doesn't care about such matters. Emily has yet another cross to bear. Her former husband, Jack, has had gender reassignment surgery and is now Jackie. She has written a novel that she considers a combination of Norman Mailer, Jackie Collins, and Scott Turow. She is devastated that it has not climbed to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. Jackie's narcissism is a constant irritant both to Emily and to the reader. We can only surmise the book's quality, but it appears to be dreadful. Emily is drawn effectively, as are the quirky travelers from Iowa. She has to cope with many situations not covered in her escort's manual. It's hard to understand what she sees in Etienne, who is neither vividly portrayed nor especially charismatic. The most engaging character is Emily's grandmother, Nana, who hit it big in the Iowa lottery and is now thinking of buying an island. Maybe, instead of an island, she could have her own series. The plot works well until the very end. The motive for the murders is so flimsy as to be gossamer.
Reviewed by Mary Elizabeth Devine, October 2007
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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