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CHAMPAGNE FOR BUZZARDS
by Phyllis Stallman
McArthur & Co, April 2011
306 pages
$24.95 CAD
ISBN: 1552789128


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

How would you react if you found some buzzards gathered around your pickup and you suddenly discovered that they were eying an unknown dead man? That is what happens to Sherri Travis bar tender/bar owner in Jacaranda, Florida. Although the police are called, Sherri can't help but put her nose in it and try to understand what happened. What piques her curiosity is the fact that, while the murder seemingly took place elsewhere, the truck with the body was brought back to her rich boyfriend's new ranch where she is temporarily living with her father and uncle, busy preparing a birthday party for her lover and his new neighbors.

It is not unusual for Sherri to meddle and get into all sorts of dangerous situations while investigating the murder. Her upbringing as trailer trash taught her early on to fend for herself and never shy away from a fight. This, she will get plenty of, since her neighbors are far from friendly types and are related to the sheriff who turns out to be as crooked as they are. The whole thing comes to a boil when a fugitive is found in the surrounding woods and is hunted intensely by the sheriff and some of his men.

Lovers of Florida should enjoy this series and especially this entry. Smallman has a talent for describing the variety of state locales - the city vs ranch country, complete with the fauna particular to each. She also expertly weaves in the historical background providing the reader with a better understanding of the architectural details as well as the mentality of the people inhabiting these regions. It also helps us to understand what Sherri has to face.

Sherri herself is quite a character whose poor background left her with both an independent streak and a load of insecurities she now has to confront in her relationship with her better bred and more affluent lover. She deals with life with a fresh mouth and a sharp and witty sense of humour that often gets in into more trouble while keeping her sane. The various situations and people she encounters help her to grow from book to book and that proves to be quite an interesting character development. Her entourage is also quite intriguing and they also evolve with each book.

A few elements did bother me. For instance, once in a while, Sherri addresses the reader directly which can be distracting. While I prefer my female main characters to be independent women, there is a limit and Sherri sometimes takes this trait a little too far, like going alone to confront her neighbors whose son has just nearly raped her. There are also a few too evident coincidences to be altogether convincing. Sherri's independence is underlined by the fact that here, as elsewhere in the series, her lover is conveniently out of the way and I hope some day that he will have a direct role in the story.

However, the plusses outweigh the minuses. A setting that allows the reader to learn things, well-rounded characters and a story that keeps you interested until the end make for a good mystery and one to recommend.

§ Nicole Leclerc is a native Montrealer, avid reader, long time reviewer and moderator of the 4MA online discussion group.

Reviewed by Nicole Leclerc, June 2011

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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