What do you think?
Rate this book
The Kali Connection: A Lynn Evans Mystery
Reporter Lynn Evans investigates a mysterious Eastern cult and falls in love with one of its devotees.
187 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1994
3 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
Read
June 18, 2020Lynn Evans, reporter for a newspaper in an unnamed state, is assigned to investigate the suicide of a young man named Sam, who was found dead in a hotel room not far from Lynn’s office. Her quickness in arriving at the scene allows her to interview several residents before the police can get things cordoned off properly. And it doesn’t hurt that her best friend is one of the detectives on the scene. The two friends agree that the death was probably not suicide but murder. Lynn discovers that Sam was a member of the Kalimaya society—a group of people practicing an amalgam of eastern religions. Could the group or one of its members have been responsible for Sam’s death? Well, maybe. What puts Lynn off the track is her quick and powerful attraction to Marta Handley, one of the leaders of the Kalimaya group.
The book consists of two story lines: Lynn’s search for Sam’s murderer and her relationship with the mysterious Marta. The book also has two geographic sections; the first half taking place in the U.S., the remainder in Nepal, where Lynn goes in search of answers. So if you like romance, adventure, and travel you will get on well with this one.
The Kali Connection is well written and well plotted without ever breaking through to excellence. The message—that we must always be searching for something—is a legitimate and compelling one. But it is the additional message that is more important—that once we have found something, we must use it for good; not only good for ourselves but for humanity. As Marta tells Lynn, No matter what one’s inner virtues, how long one meditates on goodness, one must still act in this world.” Well said.
The book is remarkably flaw-free. I will admit, though, that I wish the author had given Lynn more backstory—we know almost nothing about her past; we don’t even know where she lives. Is this necessary for a good murder mystery? Probably not, but it is necessary for an excellent one. Give this one a 3.6 and at least consider buying the other book in the Lynn Evans series.
Note: I read the first New Victoria printing of this novel.
Another Note: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel, along with information on over 930 other lesbian mysteries by over 310 authors.
The book consists of two story lines: Lynn’s search for Sam’s murderer and her relationship with the mysterious Marta. The book also has two geographic sections; the first half taking place in the U.S., the remainder in Nepal, where Lynn goes in search of answers. So if you like romance, adventure, and travel you will get on well with this one.
The Kali Connection is well written and well plotted without ever breaking through to excellence. The message—that we must always be searching for something—is a legitimate and compelling one. But it is the additional message that is more important—that once we have found something, we must use it for good; not only good for ourselves but for humanity. As Marta tells Lynn, No matter what one’s inner virtues, how long one meditates on goodness, one must still act in this world.” Well said.
The book is remarkably flaw-free. I will admit, though, that I wish the author had given Lynn more backstory—we know almost nothing about her past; we don’t even know where she lives. Is this necessary for a good murder mystery? Probably not, but it is necessary for an excellent one. Give this one a 3.6 and at least consider buying the other book in the Lynn Evans series.
Note: I read the first New Victoria printing of this novel.
Another Note: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel, along with information on over 930 other lesbian mysteries by over 310 authors.
Displaying 1 of 1 review