An enjoyable and fascinating read
July 23, 2002
Reviewer: Cindy Chow, Libriarian, Kaneohe, Hawaii
This is a wonderful mystery with engaging characters that are neither
stereotypes nor caricatures. Lillian Morgan is a retired professor living
in the Silver Acres retirement community, but she is definitely not your
typical retiree. When she receives a phone call from Mark, her
granddaughter's boyfriend, telling her that he is being accused of
the sexual harassment and rape of one of his students, Lillian refuses to
stand idly by. With the help of her would-be suitor Wesley, Lillian begins
to investigate the charges despite her own granddaughter's doubts
about Mark's innocence.
When the student is found dead, Mark becomes the police's number one
suspect for her murder. Soon, things become even more complicated
when Lillian discovers that the woman may have a murky past of her
own. Lillian's investigation leads her into the politically
cut-throat world of academic politics as well as into strip bars
and the lives of strippers (which Lillian finds quite fascinating).
Lillian is an entertaining and witty character who doesn't come off
as either a cutesy grandmother type or a spoof of a hip and with-it
senior citizen. She is likeable and admirable and doesn't put up with
the condescension the elderly often receive. Alan Cook as well explores
the backlash of sexual harassment investigations that seem to unfairly
prosecute the suspects and leaves them with little chance of proving
their innocence.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery, which follows the first of the
Lillian Morgan series, Thirteen Diamonds. I look forward to the next
by Alan Cook and the continuation of this entertaining series.