The Daphne Decisions

Jessica James #1

by Meg O'Brien

There is no experience stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of the incident that put you there. But Jessica James—with her flair for trouble—wakes up, badly bruised and beaten, in a hospital bed to discover that a powerful judge claims she is his missing daughter-in-law Daphne.

Genres: Mystery

219 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1990

About the author

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Reviews

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in a mystery series set in my hometown of Rochester, New York that ran from 1990 to 1996. The Daphne Decisions isn't a cozy - there's quite a bit of violence, moral ambiguity, and disturbing sociopolitical commentary - yet it had that wealth of local detail, still familiar thirty years later, that gave the story a rather intimate feel. One thing that's certainly changed, however, is the fact that a suburban newspaper could be a lucrative business! The City of Rochester actually had two newspapers at this time. The evening Times-Union ceased publication in 1997 while today the Democrat and Chronicle barely stays afloat.

Unfortunately the plot is simply too baroque to be believable, even beyond the entire mistaken identity affair. The central villain displays Chancellor Palpatine levels of manipulation, which is fine for a sci-fi wizard but ridiculous to expect from a small-town newspaper publisher in Upstate New York. He even arranged Jesse's entire relationship with Pav so he could control and maneuver her like a chess piece. Now that's just too much. We also learn that Mary Burghoff's thefts were specifically of items that spelled "purse" due to some metaphor involving sow's ears and silk purses from her mystery story she wrote and gave to Jesse that naturally Jesse didn't read or she would've found the damn film earlier. People's actions just aren't that perfectly clever and literary.

Jesse herself was also rather annoying. Her snark and "quirkiness" were overdone and felt forced; she's also one of those heroines who does incredibly dumb shit so we know how brave and determined she is. Her Genesee Three - a trio of black teens whose juvenile delinquent skills prove useful - just screamed "guilty white liberal" on the author's part (and this is coming from a self-professed SJW). But that being said, the issues of sprawl, gentrification, and wealth inequality are more relevant today than ever.

[Deedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

audible:This was a good read.A reporter is a bit brash.She gets into trouble and her boss wants to pull her out for her safety and the 'future of the newspaper'.At least that is what he says.There is a lot going on in this book. Joan Dukore was a fine narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Siobhan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the narration of Joan Dukore, bringing out the mystery and the feisty of our character

Jesse is a brash reporter, on the trail of a real estate scam that really has the feisty reporter steamed. She is on the trail of a real estate scam that accidents seems to happen around. She wakes up in hospital and every one is calling her Daphne

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this mystery. The story was well written. The characters were well developed. There were twists and turns which kept me interested and entertained.
Narrator Joan Dukore voiced the characters well.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the premise of a woman who wakes up and is accepted as a different person. The premise was great but the mystery didn't hold together for me and I had trouble staying interested.